Cowboys are off the mark for 2026 with a 14-point win!
One final error for the Titans.
PENALTY TITANS! A chance to finish on a high.
Lachlan Ilias comes into the game for Campbell and he loses it.
Early shower for Tom Chester. He is sin binned for the high tackle on Campbell.
Moeaki Fotuaika finds a rushing Jayden Campbell who is flying through and is collected heavily. He is down. PENALTY TITANS! Could be further action on Chester here.
Inch perfect kick from the Cowboys and Kini is crunched in goal.
Verrills is cleaned up and leaves the field.
Time off with Sam Verrills being busted wide open. Audible groan when it come up from the crowd in attendance.
Here comes the boom from Taulagi who lights up Kini and forces an error.
Soni Luke tried rollin' rollin' rollin' over but he is held up.
Titans go with a mid range dropout and it is pinballed around. Ruled an escort due to only using one hand. PENALTY COWBOYS.
Cowboys are rolling and punch through a kick. Fermor is there to shovel it dead.
Nothing going right for the Titans tonight. Fifita goes down the sideline tries to offload and loses it sideways then the follow up is turned over anyways.
It was a smart decision. It went backwards so CHALLENGE SUCCESSFUL.
Cowboys tried to promote it from their end but spill it. Cowboys CHALLENGE the decision.
Clifford converts his own effort.
Cowboys stamp their advantage. They went close on the left with the runaround then Clifford is in support to score.
PENALTY COWBOYS! Strip. Easy passage for the hosts again.
Clifford extends their lead to eight.
Dearden tries to go through the line but he's hit high. Cowboys decide to take the two.
Purdue almost ghosts through and Cowboys have a messy final play option and it is ruled to be knocked on by the Titans. CHALLENGE from the Titans. UNSUCCESSFUL.
PENALTY COWBOYS! Not square at marker.
Titans were building momentum there but good tackle dislodges the ball. Cowboys ball.
Drinkwater tries to go short but doesn't make the distance.
Brimson tries to kick it for himself, it looked heavy but it holds up and needed to be batted dead. Dropout.
PENALTY TITANS! Another one creeps up high.
Yup. Shoulder to shoulder and Clifford almost got there! He brushes the ball. Knock on.
BUNKER TIME AGAIN! Taulagi invents a kick and the chase almost gets there. Checking if the chase was shoulder to shoulder.
Verrills is ON REPORT for the shot.
PENALTY COWBOYS! High shot from Verrils.
BUNKER TIME! Titans with a rampaging set which gets them going. They kick it high and tried to contest it but it was knocked on.
Campbell brings them within six.
Titans get what they needed in the second half. Bai with a quick PTB and Morrin bursts through.
Another PENALTY for the Titans! Kini is clipped high again.
PENALTY TITANS! Offside from the Cowboys line
We're back for the second half! Can the Titan make a comeback? or will the Cowboys get their first win? Let's find out!
HALFTIME! Cowboys lead by 12.
Clifford with a short kick and Titans recover briefly. They follow up with a knock on. Referee ruled it was dropped not kicked. Titans ball.
Dearden puts in an early kick and it almost caught the Titans unaware. They needed two attempts to bat it dead.
Titans come up with another error. Been sloppy from them in the first half.
Clifford to put the Cowboys up twelve. He nails it.
Cowboys go further ahead! It was a pinpoint kick which saw Taulagi tap it to Purdue to score.
Clifford adds the extras
Scott Drinkwater lights up the field! He glides past the defence and shrugs off the chasers to score and put the Cowboys ahead!
PENALTY TITANS! Kini is hit high.
Clifford from the sideline this time. He can't swing it over this time.
Everyone is seeing double tonight! Cowboys sweep it left and Taulagi is on the end to finish.
Deja Vu. Titans spill it from the kick-off again.
Campbell misses.
Campbell like a thief in the night. Cowboys were loading it up left but Campbell snags the intercept and stretches out to score.
Kini tries to put Fermor through a hole but he spills it. Titans are CHALLENGING early. They think it is touched. SUCCESSFUL. Smart work from the Titans (Yes I just said that)
Nevermind. Big Tino drops it.
PENALTY TITANS! Offside.
Titans can't even get through the first tackle from kick-off before an error.
Campbell converts his own effort.
Welcome back Jayden Campbell! He shows off his step and slices through for the four-pointer.
Titans tried to promote the ball but only knock it on.
Chester tries to offload for the Cowboys but only finds the Titans.
Clifford from mid range. Curves it over.
Cowboys make their early dominance pay! Scott Drinkwater poked through and under armed one to Murray Taulagi to score in the corner.
Lovely kick from Clifford which hit the back of Faeamani and almost went right to a Cowboy. The calvary is there to sweep it away for a dropout.
We were in an arm wrestle for the first five minutes. Cowboys earn the first PENALTY for a flop.
Cowboys tried to fray the edges of the Titans but AJ Brimson produces a superb tackle to deny them after defending three sets on their line.
A pair of set restarts have Cowboys right on the attack here in the first minute.
KICK-OFF! Titans loft it high into the bright blue sky and we're underway!
Both teams are getting the final instructions before we do battle. Titans are the first side onto the turf in their tequila sunrise kit to a smattering of boos. Cowboys follow in their 90s inspired home jersey looking to get off the duck egg.
We round off the weekend of footy with a game between two sides desperate to open their account for the season. It is a Queensland Derby between the Cowboys and the Titans. Kick-off is almost here, so strap in for some exciting footy.
Referees & scorers:
Referee: Peter Gough
Touch Judges: Michael Wise, Nick Pelgrave
Video Referee: Liam Kennedy
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS (30)
Tries: Murray Taulagi (2), Jake Clifford, Scott Drinkwater, Jaxon Purdue
Conversions: Jake Clifford (4/5)
Penalty Goals: Jake Clifford (1/1)
GOLD COAST TITANS (16)
Tries: Jayden Campbell (2), Kurtis Morrin
Conversions: Jayden Campbell (2/3)
North Qld: Drinkwater, Burns, Purdue, Chester, Taulagi; Clifford, Dearden (C); Neame, Mahoney, Taumalolo, Luki, McIntyre, Cotter. Int: Hess, Luke, Lahrs, Lodge.
Gold Coast: Kini, Faeamani, Fifita, Feagai, Sami; Brimson, Campbell; Fotuaika, Verrills, Fa'asuamaleaui (C), Hau, Fermor, Randall. Int: Morrin, Simpkins, Haas, Bai, Ilias.