Warriors hold out fast finishing Cowboys

The New Zealand Warriors have held off a fast finishing North Queensland Cowboys tonight to record a 20-16 victory at 1300Smiles Stadium in front of 12738 loyal fans.

On a balmy Saturday night in Townsville, the visitors went into the match looking for their first win of the season and the first at the venue since 2002.

After a strong start from both teams whose big forwards made valuable yards up the middle, it was Warriors winger Glen Fisiiahi who would cross first after picking up a wayward Chad Townsend pass on the bounce and diving over in the corner to give his side a 4-0 lead after 10 minutes of play.

In the 21st minute Fisiiahi extended the lead to 8-0 after what appeared to be a controversial decision. Warriors half Shaun Johnson poked a little grubber into the in-goal with Michael Morgan fumbling it, however Fisiiahi also appeared to have knocked on before grounding the ball. The try was awarded though with the video referee claiming he had insufficient evidence to overturn the referee's on field decision who had earlier ruled a try.

The Cowboys would soon hit back with a try to Cowboys winger Antonio Winterstein who made amends for his team after butchering what looked to be a certain try only a matter of minutes earlier. Winterstein bumped off three Warriors defenders to dive over in the corner in a determined effort. Cowboys skipper Johnathan Thurston kicked a ripper from the sideline to reduce the deficit to two.

The score line of 8-6 would remain until halftime with both teams making a few errors in the back end of the half with fatigue setting in.

The first part of the second half was quite an arm wrestle with both teams digging in defensively.

Konrad Hurrell would quickly make an impact when he came off the bench for the Warriors, barging over for a try in the 56th minute off a short ball from Nathan Friend. Johnson slotted over his first goal of the night to give the Warriors a 14-6 lead.

Just six minutes later the Warriors lock forward Sione Lousi would cross in what looked a carven copy of the Warriors previous try with Nathan Friend again supplying a sharp pass from dummy half. Johnson again converted to give his side a handy 20-6 lead.

The Cowboys weren't ready to throw in the towel just yet though with Cowboys fullback Morgan hitting back with a try in the 67th minute after Fisiiahi coughed up a high ball from the Cowboys. Thurston converted to reduce the margin to eight.

The Cowboys lead by Thurston, would control possession for the remainder of the game and in the 75th minute they got within four points of the Warriors after a spectacular effort from Kyle Feldt. The Cowboys winger charged onto a long cut out pass from Morgan and dived for the corner placing it down one handed.

Feldt looked to have scored again only moments later but this time it was disallowed with his foot stepping on the sideline just before he dived over.

The Warriors eventually hung on to win what was a gutsy performance.

Next week the Warriors will head back home to host an in-form Wests Tigers outfit in Wellington and the Cowboys will head to the Gold Coast to face the Titans.

Venue: 1300SMILES Stadium

Crowd: 12738

Halftime Score: North Queensland Cowboys 6 New Zealand Warriors 8

3 points - Nathan Friend

2 points - Sam Rapira

1 point - Tariq Sims

NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS (16)
Tries: Antonio Winterstein, Michael Morgan, Kyle Feldt
Field Goals:
Conversions: Antonio Winterstein (0/1), Johnathan Thurston (2/2)
Penalty Goals:

NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS (20)
Tries: Glen Fisiiahi (2), Konrad Hurrell, Sione Lousi
Field Goals:
Conversions: Shaun Johnson (2/4)
Penalty Goals:

Welcome to the last game of what has been a cracking day of NRL footy. The New Zealand Warriors have travelled to 1300smiles Stadium looking for their first win of the season against the North Queensland Cowboys. History will be against the visitors tonight, the Warriors haven't won here for 12 years.
Team sheets are in and for the Cowboys Rory Kostjasyn will start the game at hooker with Ray Thompson moving back to the bench. For the Warriors, Sione Lousi will run on at lock pushing Feleti Mateo back to the bench. Konrad Hurrell will also play his first game for the year coming off the bench. John Palavi will miss out tonight.

2: Were under way and the home team gets 1st use.

3: Big 1st set making big yards but Sam Tomkins defuses the bomb.

6: Penalty to the Cowboys. With the ball 30 out.

7: UNFORCED ERROR NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Brent Tate makes an unforced error.
Tate tries to tap the ball on to his winger but the ball goes forward

8: Great take by Cowboys Kyle Feldt to defuse a high ball

10: Penalty Warriors, on the attack 35 out from the Cowboys line

10: TRY NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Scored by Glen Fisiiahi. Kick to come.
Try to the Fish after picking up a wayward pass from Townsend.

11: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Conversion attempt by Shaun Johnson unsuccessful.
From the sideline, Johnson just misses

13: Kick from Johnson goes touch in goal.

15: Repeat set Cowboys, Thurston with a nice grubber.

15: Warriors defended that set, not the Cowboys best set.

16: Penalty Warriors. 35 out from the Cowboys line.

17: Going upstairs for a possible Warriors try

19: No Try, but the Warriors will get another set after the Cowboys grounded it in goal

20: Upstairs again with the ref signalling a try this time.

23: TRY NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Scored by Glen Fisiiahi. Kick to come.
Controversial decision. Fisiiahi looked to have knocked on before grounding a Johnson grubber

24: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Conversion attempt by Shaun Johnson unsuccessful.
Johnson hooks this one to the left

23: Upstairs for the Cowboys this time, ref says no try

24: No Try as Winterstein trips over his own feet and loses the ball short of the line.

24: Michael Morgan takes a Johnson bomb

26: Bit of an arm wrestle at the moment, but now a penalty to the Cowboys

26: on the attack 15 out

27: penalty Cowboys. another chance to score

29: TRY NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Scored by Antonio Winterstein. Kick to come.
Winterstein makes amends bumping off 3 Warriors defenders to score in the corner after a nice cut out pass by Morgan

30: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Conversion attempt by Jonathan Thurston successful.
The master converts from the sideline with the trademark JT curve

30: Warriors kick out on the full from kick off!

32: UNFORCED ERROR NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Brent Tate makes an unforced error.
Tate knocks on a cross field kick

35: Penalty Cowboys takes the count to 6-2 in their favour

35: Another penalty Cowboys

37: UNFORCED ERROR NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Michael Morgan makes an unforced error.
Morgan spills a Robert Lui short ball. Warriors scrum 10 out from their own line.

38: UNFORCED ERROR NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Shaun Johnson makes an unforced error.
Johnson kicks out on the full attempting a 40/20

39: Johnson defuses a Thurston grubber and the Warriors get a penalty straight away

40: Penalty again sees the Warriors on the attack 40 out with a minute to go

40: UNFORCED ERROR NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Chad Townsend makes an unforced error.
Townsend spills the ball on what looked a promising attacking raid.

40: UNFORCED ERROR NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Manu Vatuvei makes an unforced error.
And the Beast spills it into touch in the last play of the half

40: We have a tight one in Townsville tonight with the Warriors looking better this week, but can they keep it going for the full 80?? Whilst the Cowboys have looked a little disjointed in attack tonight. Stay tuned for what should prove a gripping second half.

40: Back under way with Lillyman bringing it back for the Warriors.

41: UNFORCED ERROR NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Michael Morgan makes an unforced error.
Morgan spills it in the play the ball. Warriors on the attack!

43: Repeat set for the Warriors

44: UNFORCED ERROR NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Sam Tomkins makes an unforced error.
knock on by Tomkins. Cowboys will bring it out from their line

46: Warriors on the attack again.

47: Cowboys kick goes dead and its a Warriors 20m tap

49: Johnson puts up a high one but Morgan gets under this one. Having a mixed night with his hands

50: Konrad Hurrell is on and makes a bust down the left!

50: Cowboys ground it in goal and the warriors get a repeat set

52: Another repeat set as Brent Tate bats a grubber kick from the Warriors dead

53: UNFORCED ERROR NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Johnathan Thurston makes an unforced error.
JT knocks down a Johnson short ball. Scrum Warriors 10m out!

54: TRY NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Scored by Konrad Hurrell. Kick to come.
Hurrell crashes over from close range running onto a ball out of dummy half from Nathan Friend

55: Looks as though big Konrad's playing back-row tonight

56: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Conversion attempt by Shaun Johnson successful.
Johnson kicks this one from close range

59: UNFORCED ERROR NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Ray Thompson makes an unforced error.
Forward pass from Ray Thompson out of dummy half

61: Penalty Warriors, their on the attack in the Cowboys red zone.

62: TRY NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Scored by Sione Lousi. Kick to come.
In an identical play to the last try its big Sione Lousi who crashes over next to the posts

64: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Conversion attempt by Shaun Johnson successful.
Johnson pots this easy one over

66: Going upstairs with a possible try for the Cowboys...

67: TRY NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Scored by Michael Morgan. Kick to come.
Try for Morgan after Fisiiahi spills a bomb

68: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Conversion attempt by Johnathan Thurston successful.
Thurston adds the extras

69: Great set from the Cowboys with JT drilling the ball downfield at the end of it

70: Repeat set for the Cowboys after a Thurston grubber traps the Warriors in goal. JT starting to turn the screws here!

72: Going upstairs the ref saying no try

75: NO TRY after a barnstorming run by Tariq Sims, but hes ruled to have a lost it over the line, it was a tight though

74: Penalty Cowboys. On the attack from halfway now

74: Going upstairs again for a Cowboys try...

76: TRY NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Scored by Kyle Feldt. Kick to come.
TRY! Spectacular effort by Kyle Feldt diving over in the Corner after a nice cut out pass by Morgan

76: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Conversion attempt by Antonio Winterstein unsuccessful.
JT misses this one but its GAME ON here with 5 to go!

79: Penalty Cowboys, 20 out here they come!

80: Video ref again here..

78: NO TRY but Cowboys will get the scrum feed!

78: Feldt crosses in the corner but his foot went out before crossing!

79: UNFORCED ERROR NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Feleti Mateo makes an unforced error.
Mateo knocks on, one last chance for the Cowboys!

79: UNFORCED ERROR NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Kane Linnett makes an unforced error.
Linnett spills a ball from JT & that will do it for the Warriors

79: The Warriors have snuck home here in a pretty gutsy display in defense at the end of that one.
Thanks for joining us, Match Report to come soon