Canberra's last roll of the dice fails and the Cowboys will hold on! What a finish.
Cowboys with it on the last and take the tackle. 1:30 left and the Raiders have it on their own 5m.
NO! An attempted offload from Wighton and that's a big chance gone begging for the Raiders.
Cowboys set over and now the Raiders are surging up field with three minutes left. Can they get anywhere near enough to level scores... or go in front?
The kickoff goes out on the full and the Cowboys have the momentum inside the final minutes.
THE CHAD IS GOOD! Townsend pots the field goal with four minutes left.
Looking increasingly like we could be headed to golden point for the second time in the opening round.
It's a real grind at QCB Stadium now. Canberra still looking strong but the momentum isn't as big as it was up until the hour mark.
Fogarty nails it to level the scores!
How is this?! The Green Machine are back within two points! A high ball and nobody takes it, so Wighton snaps up the crumbs and runs wide to score.
The margin is six and the Cowboys first-half dominance is quickly evaporating with just under 25 minutes left.
Like it did for the Cowboys in the first half, the perseverance pays off for Canberra in the second. Starling grubbers it, comes off Nanai and reclaims it and scores himself.
Canberra force a drop-out as the pressure mounts on the hosts.
Canberra definitely have come out the stronger of the two sides here (there's something about that end of QCB Stadium...)
A reprieve finally for the hosts with a penalty piggybacking them out of their own zone.
Canberra's attack is quite clunky despite the Cowboys giving them plenty of chances.
An early second half error in their own territory and the Cowboys will be on the back foot here.
HALFTIME. Cowboys dominance but they did open the door for Canberra late on. 18-6 to the hosts, join us for the second half soon.
Fogarty pops the extras over and the margin drops back to twelve.
Guler climbs over and the visitors claw one back!
The Raiders finally have a full set on the Cowboys line...
And another. Holmes conversion paints a bleak picture for Canberra as halftime looms.
Drinky double! The Raiders just can't hold them out.
With how dominant the Cowboys have been, particularly with field position and possession, it's a surprise they haven't extended their lead further. Another last-tackle kick from Townsend and they force another drop-out.
Jordan Rapana penalised for what looked like a shoulder charge and the Cowboys easily out of their own end again.
Canberra just struggling for possession and field position here.
Penalties aplenty and the Cowboys look to take advantage and extend the lead to twelve. Holmes makes it so.
Holmes with a much easier attempt, converts.
Beautiful play, Drinkwater picks up a superb Townsend in-field grubber and it's a quickfire try.
Holmes clatters this one into the post from the sideline.
The dam wall breaks - right on the edges of course. Murray Taulagi gets it down in the corner!
The Cowboys are peppering the Raiders' line but there's just no way through. Superb defence from the Green Machine and they repel another raid - just.
Holmes early attempt goes left. Raiders 20m line dropout.
Bizarre stuff from Rapana, kicking a ball away after an error and he's penalised. Cowboys will opt for the two.
Cowboys with a good chance here after a Raiders error.
A handy penalty for the Cowboys coming out of their own end. The new set starts on Canberra's side of halfway.
KICKOFF and Canberra, wearing their new all-white away jersey, start us off with the first use of the ball.
Muggy conditions in Townsville for this 4:30pm kickoff match in Queensland's north. Both sides are 1-17.
Referees & scorers:
Referee: Adam Gee
Touch Judges: Wyatt Raymond, Phil Henderson
Video Referee: Kasey Badger
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS (19)
Tries: Murray Taulagi, Scott Drinkwater (2)
Field Goals: Chad Townsend (1/1)
Conversions: Valentine Holmes (2/3)
Penalty Goals: Valentine Holmes (1/2)
CANBERRA RAIDERS (18)
Tries: Emre Guler, Tom Starling, Jack Wighton
Conversions: Jamal Fogarty (3/3)