A star is born as Cowboys and Panthers play out epic draw

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North Queensland Cowboys v Penrith Panthers

The North Queensland Cowboys and Penrith Panthers have played out the first draw of the 2025 season after an enthralling game went the entire 90 minutes at Queensland Country Bank Stadium. 

The Panthers led by 12 points on two separate occasions but the speed of North Queensland's spine, along with the dynamic presence of Jeremiah Nanai on the edge, saw the Cowboys continually fight their way back in a seesawing battle that ended 30-all. 

The story of the game, however, was Penrith five-eighth Blaize Talagi, who finally looked at home next to Nathan Cleary as he scored a try and set up four in a standout performance. 

Speaking of those two, the Panthers got on the board first in the 5th minute as Cleary combined with Talagi to put Isaiah Papali'i over and Penrith almost had a second when Liam Martin came down with a Cleary bomb a few sets later, passing it to Talagi who found Papali'i again but he was unable to connect with a wide-open Brian To'o.

Still, these were early warning shots from a Panthers side that looked much more like the one that continued to defy the odds on the way to four-straight premierships. 

Errors and ill-discipline have crippled Penrith at times this season though, and a few mistakes from the Panthers invited the Cowboys back into the game and eventually they evened the score in the 15th minute. 

On that occasion, Jeremiah Nanai caught an awkward mid-range bomb, linked with Tom Dearden who found Murray Taulagi and then Nanai was backing up in support to score.

Just as the Cowboys looked to have worked their way back into the game, Robert Derby spilled a Cleary bomb in what was just the start of a nightmare half from the young winger, who made four errors.

The Panthers were quick to capitalise too as Talagi put Luke Garner over and that combination struck gold again shortly after, this time with the five-eighth putting it on the toe for his centre.

Just as Penrith looked to be in cruise control, back-to-back penalties marched North Queensland up the field and Viliami Vailea barged over to score and leave the difference at 18-12 by halftime. 

It could have been far worse for the Cowboys, who had just 35 per cent of the ball in the first half and seven tackles in Penrith's 20-metre zone compared to 37 for the defending premiers.

Those tackles inside the North Queensland 20 kept coming as Reece Robson spilled the ball a few tackles into the opening set of the second half, but the Cowboys held firm on their own line and were eventually rewarded for that perseverance.

Although initially it looked like Jaxon Purdue had bombed a try by looking inside instead of to his left with Taulagi in support after a linebreak from the Cowboys speedster.

It mattered little though as Purdue took another carry on the next tackle and this time connected with Jake Clifford for North Queensland's third try of the game to tie it up at 18-all.

The Cowboys then almost took the lead for the first time in the game when Nanai charged onto a last-tackle bomb and almost came down with it, only to spill the ball with the try line looming.

It proved a crucial turning point as Talagi produced his fourth try assist of the game on the other end, this time confidently kicking early for Tom Jenkins, who had just come onto the field. 

There was a tinge of controversy, not with the try itself, but the fact the Panthers were in a position to score it after Taulagi was penalised for a dangerous tackle on a falling Liam Henry.

That put Penrith ahead 24-18 and the game hung in the balance for another 10 minutes before Derby's horror night continued as he spilled the ball while trying to get into the field of play, with Talagi on the spot to ground it and cap off a career-best performance.

There was redemption of sorts for Derby as he crossed over for a late try as Drinkwater curled it in from the sidelines to set up a grandstand finish.

And then a show of pure pace from Drinkwater delivered just that as he put Dearden over under the posts to tie up the game with five minutes left.

The drama continued from that point, with the Panthers denied a penalty goal to win the game after the referees missed a blatant accidental offside from North

Queensland off a Cleary bomb while Mitch Kenny then bizarrely decided to run the ball on the last as Penrith wasted a crucial chance to steal it at the death.

It meant the game went to golden point and the Cowboys had the best chance of the two teams after a poor option from Talagi saw Jenkins drop the ball inside the Penrith half. 

But some scrambling defence from the Panthers and poor organisation from the Cowboys saw North Queensland bottle it. 

The Cowboys continued to look the most likely to nail the game-winning field goal, but the Panthers had one chance early in the second half of golden point, only for poor service from Kenny resulting in a charge down. 

North Queensland had one final opportunity to steal it at the death but the execution was off again as the two teams settled for a draw.