FT: Cowboys 30 d Raiders 20
Fogarty adds the penalty goal.
They will go for goal for for-and-against purposes.
PENALTY RAIDERS: In front of kicker.
Robson takes no chances.
Canberra really need a try here.
CHALLENGE TIME: On field ruling is knock on.
Hudson is stolen from Clifford and the Cowboys get it back but he loses the ball.
Pattie from inside the 40 and he has NAILED IT for a 40/20
Canberra need to go 90 metres.
Nails it.
GAME SET MATCH COWBOYS! Tom Dearden takes it himself and the Cowboys should have enough to get home from here.
Ethan Strange throws it forward.
Big moments here for the Raiders.
YET ANOTHER ROLL BALL
Penalty goal by Drinkwater is good for 24-18.
That is awkward there from Horsburgh... Just an awkward mechanism but he has been placed on report.
PENALTY COWBOYS: Jason Taumalolo taken awkwardly.
CHALLENGE UNSUCESSFUL.
CHALLENGE RAIDERS: On field ruling of a strip.
PENALTY COWBOYS: Illegal steal.
Pass was forward from Nicholson to Kaeo Weekes so North Queensland hang on.
SAVAGE IGNORED THE SUPPORT OF PATTIE... WHAT ARE YOU DOING XAVIER!
Canberra survive!
Back 13 v 13
Cowboys recover the short dropout and they compound it with a penalty against the Raiders.
PERFECTION from Canberra. They go 100 metres in the set post points.
Ethan Strange's running game has been immense tonight.
Hess has about a minute to serve.
IT IS THERE ! Four point game up north.
Tamale goes across from dummy half, it was a little scrappy but some sloppy defence allowed Tamale to capitalise and reach out to score.
SIX MORE RAIDERS: Slow peel.
Viliami Vailea surrenders in contact and it will be a goal line dropout.
ROLL BALL IS ALIVE AND WELL IN 2025.
Great bomb from Jamal Fogarty and the Raiders trying to get the play alive and I think Matty Nicholson is ruled to have lost it.
HAVE A BRIEF BREAK GUYS, GALS AND EVERYONE!
Drinkwater goes without it and we will have a drinks break.
Oh no... Seb Kris puts too much on it and it will be a seven tackle set.
Pattie is just denied!
Coen Hess "BLATANTLY OFFSIDE" according to Adam Gee and after four straight set restarts, his patience runs out.
SIX MORE RAIDERS: Second effort.
SIX MORE RAIDERS: Second effort.
Jeremiah Nanai the next to enter the report sheet for a high tackle.
SIX MORE CANBERRA: Slow peel but on the next play, Xavier Savage loses it.
Great first set after points from Canberra.
No good.
Savage said anything Clifford can do, I can do better. A great bomb from Fogarty and Savage flies right over Scott Drinkwater to score a sensational try.
Drinkwater and the Cowboys are riding roughshot over them - fortunately the Raiders defence just hangs on.
Bend it like Scott - hooked it back right to left.
North Queensland opened proceedings in the second half as Clifford combined brilliantly with Bateman. On the ensuing play, a kick from Drinkwater was played at by Kaeo Weekes. A brilliant slips catch from Clifford saw him get the pass away to Robert Derby for his maiden NRL try.
North QLD on the attack.
CRUNCHED! Purdue hit with everything from Savage and Robson is crucified for kicking early
Nanai into space, finds Purdue and gets inside the Canberra 20m line.
Good back and forth arm-wrestle to start the half.
CHALLENGE SUCCESSFUL: Cowboys survive with the ball as Bateman recovered it.
CHALLENGE COWBOYS: On field ruling is a knock on from the home team.
PENALTY RAIDERS: High tackle.
HT: Raiders led 8-0 but the Cowboys have the last three tries on the board.
ANTI CLIMATIC FINISH
PENALTY COWBOYS: Rob Derby loses it and Hudson Young was pinned for being offside. Joe Tapine's voice cracks as he continues his running battle with Adam Gee.
Canberra really need half-time.
Nicholson running onto a good line and he has lost it! Great defence from Jaxon Purdue.
Oh my goodness... John Bateman makes a big mistake in coming out of his own end.
Successful
CLIFFORD!! Flies like a full forward to take the ball from Kaeo Weekes and within two minutes, he has gotten a double!
Successful from Drinkwater.
Canberra were struggling to get back into the contest and made mistakes. Jake Clifford took matters into his own hands with a great individual try to level the scores.
Good offload from Tom Starling to put Kaeo Weekes in space to get the Raiders back on the attack.
PENALTY COWBOYS: Josh Papali'i has taken Sam McIntyre high and he goes on report for the SECOND TIME - was retrospectively placed on report for an incident involving Griffin Neame.
NO GOAL!
The Cowboys have looked most damaging when they have gone left in the first half and it was a cracking pass from Scott Drinkwater to Murray Taulagi who strolled over to get the Cowboys on the board for their earliest first half try in 2025.
SIX MORE COWBOYS: Think that was a ruck infringement.
A bizarre passage of play, Tamale knocked it backwards (apparently) and then they hand possession back to the Cowboys.
Fogarty was about a milimetre away from a 40/20 no exaggeration there at all.
Fogarty adds the penalty goal.
PENALTY CANBERRA: Hudson Young is escorted off the ball.
DRINKS BREAK TIME - HAVE A QUICK TOILET STOP AND GET YOUR BEVERAGE AND FOOD
Oh Big Red goes without it.
PENALTY RAIDERS: Regrip.
9 infrigements in 17 minutes from these two sides as the Raiders hold firm in defence as big Josh Papali'i comes into the game.
SIX AGAIN COWBOYS: Slow peel.
PENALTY COWBOYS: Inside 10m and then someone gave Adam Gee some lip.
Scott Drinkwater has knocked on.
VIDEO REF: Gee going up with NO TRY on a knock on.
SIX AGAIN COWBOYS: Inside 10m.
SIX AGAIN COWBOYS: Inside 10m.
Joseph Tapine is on report for a chicken wing style tackle.
PENALTY COWBOYS: Foul play.
Confirmation that we will get the NRL drinks breaks due to the hot conditions.
Conversion successful.
After a weight of early possession. Canberra opened the scoring when Joe Tapine charged through some pedestrian defence to charge across in his maiden game back from suspension.
PENALTY RAIDERS: Inside 10m - that is a huge relief as Corey Horsburgh dropped it with the line wide open.
SIX AGAIN RAIDERS: Slow ruck
Good kick from Fogarty - Drinkwater takes zero chances and it will be a goal line dropout.
SET RESTART RAIDERS: Slow peel
PENALTY RAIDERS: Inside 10m.
They've got them again on the left edge, Taulagi has a big break down the left. Cowboys work it right, they kick early but Tamale recovers it.
Purdue, Purdue breaks away down the left edge before a great cover tackle by Kaeo Weekes saves the day for the Raiders but that is the warning shot down the right of the Raiders.
Hudson Young goes without it - John Bateman sporting the white headgear tonight.
UNDERWAY! Adam Gee blows time on and we are off and running.
Adam Gee in charge for NRL game number 266. Tyson Brough and Nick Pelgrave have the flags. Liam 'Decision Made' Kennedy is in the bunker.
On the team cards, North QLD are 1-17 while the Raiders are starting Trey Mooney and Josh Papali'i reverts to the bench.
Super Saturday continues from North QLD as the Cowboys host the Raiders from QLD Country Bank Stadium. The winless Cowboys have had a rough start to the season and will look to avoid a winless month to open the campaign while Canberra are hoping last week was just a blip on the radar. AJ Lucantonio with you for this Saturday night dual in the North.
Referees & scorers:
Referee: Adam Gee
Touch Judges: Tyson Brough, Nick Pelgrave
Video Referee: Liam Kennedy
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS (30)
Tries: Murray Taulagi, Jake Clifford (2), Robert Derby, Tom Dearden
Field Goals:
Two Point Field Goals:
Conversions: Scott Drinkwater (4/5)
Penalty Goals: Scott Drinkwater (1/1)
CANBERRA RAIDERS (20)
Tries: Joseph Tapine, Xavier Savage, Savelio Tamale
Field Goals:
Two Point Field Goals:
Conversions: Jamal Fogarty (2/3)
Penalty Goals: Jamal Fogarty (2/2)