GAME OVER! WAHS WIN IT!!
Time running out
Wahs recover and they should get home from here!
Cowboys have to go 90 metres.
Now Clifford loses it on the ground...
NO TRY!
VIDEO REF: Gee has NO TRY! But that is an insane effort from Sam Healey to make a play of that.
Purdue was slaughtered after kicking. Here goes Tuaupiki. He gets the Wahs out of trouble! Big time
Scott Drinkwater has to surrender.
CNK has lost the ball into contact and they do not have a challenge EITHER! WOWEEE
Big mistake - Cotter puts it down.
Poor kick from Dearden and a great recovery from Sam Healey.
Failed dropout from the Wahs - we will have a play the ball 10 by 10
Halasima should've taken that kick, but spilled it and Metcalf bats it dead.
The Cowboys have the ride of the crowd now
Challenge UNSUCCESSFUL
Ball has come out! Nanai is lifted on the gold medal podium by the Cowboys and they will challenge this.
Samuel Healey is ON for his NRL debut.
PENALTY WAHS: Regrip
Taulagi for the corner... Metcalf has saved the day!! It was awarded on field but the decision will be overturned.
The Cowboys are always a second half team
Conversion is successful.
As the Cowboys continued to have all momentum. It wasn't long before the away side were within a try of the Warriors. A clever Drinkwater kick wasn't defused by Taine Tuaupiki as he was crunched by Purdue and Jeremiah Nanai picks it up and scored for the Cowboys.
Dropout recovered by the Cowboys.
VIDEO REF: Gee has NO TRY - confirming a grounding by Taine Tuaupiki.
Cowboys have all momentum
No goal.
There's something about Murray Taulagi and Magic Round. Despite juggling the ball, he was able to beat the cover of Capewell to slam the footy down in the right corner.
BUNKER REFERRAL! Gee has NO TRY ! Taulagi may have gone out
PENALTY COWBOYS: Inside 10m.
Here come the Cowboys.
No good.
North Queensland needed to be the next team to score and they delivered some magic of their own. An early kick from Clifford sat up perfectly for Robert Derby. The PNG international beat the cover tackle of CNK to score a much needed four pointer.
Nanai is crunched by Leka Halasima.
Taulagi gets it back in the in-goal... 7 tackle set. The slow mo replay shows it was above the in-goal and should've been play on BUT we did see it in slow mo.
Rocco Berry in a bit of discomfort after trying to haul in Robert Derby.
Pompey tries to bat that kick back but they cannot handle it.
Warriors could land the critical blow here.
Good read on the replay by Rocco Berry.
Cowboys just rushing their attack - Drinkwater goes without it
Metcalf adds the penalty goal.
PENALTY WAHS: Scrum - they will go for goal.
Challenge successful and Taulagi puts it down.
PENALTY COWBOYS: Hand on ball with a strip... but we have a challenge from the Wahs.
PENALTY WAHS: Inside 10 on the kick
Back underway for the second half
Successful.
In the dying stages of the first half, Adam Pompey intercepted a Jake Clifford pass to sprint 50 metres to score.
INTERCEPTED!
Contestable kick but it is knocked on by the visitors.
Big charges from the Cowboys to get out of trouble.
No goal so we will have a 20m dropout.
Wahs going for 2.
Challenge unsuccessful
Hang on! Challenge time for the Cowboys.
PENALTY WAHS: Hand on ball.
Griffin Neame drops it in the set post points.
Extra two is added by Drinkwater.
Dearden takes the line on and goes all the way! Big effort from the little 5/8 and they capitalise on the penalty.
PENALTY COWBOYS
Nails it from touch.
Metcalf has spiders on him! Everytime he has gotten the ball he has been dangerous. Metcalf once again became the star of the show, after a huge break to get the Warriors back in attacking territory. He did it on his own, getting on the outside of the Cowboys
PENALTY WAHS: Inside 10m - it was a free play for the Warriors as the Cowboys were all offside.
Drinkwater gets him in a cracking tackle!
METCALF SPLITS THEM!
POLLS HAVE CLOSED! Let the other big contest of the day get underway!
Warriors currently playing like "they'd never have this time again!"
Conversion is successful
Or maybe Chanel Harris-Tavita will do it. A great reverse grubber kick caught the Cowboys unaware, Tom Dearden couldn't handle it and Harris-Tavita picks the loose ball up and gets it to the ground first.
Warriors dominating some field position in the last five minutes or so. Really time for Metcalf to run the show!
It's not just raining at Magic Round... it is POURING! The DJ will be doing a major disservice if they don't play Dragon's Rain!
Early kick but Drinkwater runs into the back of several players and it is all cleared.
SIX MORE COWBOYS: Ruck infringement.
Cue Peter Combe "the rain keeps tumbling down! Listen to the wonderful sound."
SIX MORE WAHS: Ruck infringement.
Adds the extras.
The Cowboys attack finally got into gear after 14 minutes. Scott Drinkwater dug into the line to put Jeremiah Nanai into space before linking up with Jaxon Purdue to get the Cowboys on the board for Magic Round.
Nanai into the clear
Big Leka Halasima turned Tom Dearden into a speed bump!
No goal
Three minutes later, Metcalf again turned provider with a terrific set-play out to the left. He found Chanel Harris-Tavita who delivered a magic pass to Edward Kosi to score their second.
SET RESTART WAHS: Ruck infringement.
Metcalf converts.
Reuben Cotter placed on report retrospectively for the high tackle (shoulder to head)
After repelling several sets down the other end of the field, the Warriors were able to capitalise on their next opportunity as Metcalf put Kurt Capewell into space before finding the halfback to score the opening try.
NO TRY - Warriors repel them!
VIDEO REF: Gee has NO TRY - reviewing contact on a couple of those chasers on the right edge.
Numbers on the left side for the Cowboys but the pass was touched by Tuaupiki. If he didn't do that, Purdue was away down the left hand side. Pressure continues to pile on the Wahs.
SIX MORE COWBOYS: Inside 10m.
SIX MORE COWBOYS: Ruck infringement.
PENALTY COWBOYS: Offside (kick) - Luke Metcalf.
Early kick in behind, it takes a ricochet and it looks like Metcalf is OFFSIDE. Adam Gee agrees with that view and it will be NO TRY after a Bunker referral.
Metcalf puts Kosi away down the left. Comes back in field and is taken down about 20 away from the Cowboys line.
CHALLENGE WAHS SUCCESSFUL. Warriors get the ball back about 20 out from their own line.
CHALLENGE WAHS
Both sides through their opening sets here. Taine Tuaupiki has lost the ball first here but they will challenge early.
KICKOFF! We're underway from Suncorp. Thankfully, the rain has cleared, but the field is damp. Warriors with the first use of the football running from left to right. The Warriors are the definitely the people's team of Magic Round.
We shouldn't get too many seat results during tonight's election over the course of the game but if anything major is happening, we will alert you! Referee tonight is Adam Gee in NRL game number 269. Touch judges are Kieren Irons and Chris Sutton. Chris Butler is in the Bunker. Kickoff in about 10 minutes. AJ Lucantonio is on deck for this one!
NRL Magic Round continues from Suncorp Stadium where the New Zealand Warriors play host to the North Queensland Cowboys. The Warriors have been the NRL's surprise packets with some good victories this season while the Cowboys have won four games on the bounce after a poor start to 2025. On the team front, Leiataua is out replaced by Kosi with Pompey moving to centre. Samuel Healey earns a well deserved NRL debut with Te Maire Martin as 18th man. For the Cowboys, they are 1-17.
Referees & scorers:
Referee: Adam Gee
Touch Judges: Chris Sutton, Kieren Irons
Video Referee: Chris Butler
WARRIORS (30)
Tries: Luke Metcalf (2), Edward Kosi, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Adam Pompey
Conversions: Luke Metcalf (4/5)
Penalty Goals: Luke Metcalf (1/2)
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS (26)
Tries: Jaxon Purdue, Tom Dearden, Robert Derby, Murray Taulagi, Jeremiah Nanai
Conversions: Scott Drinkwater (3/5)