The North Queensland Cowboys remain unbeaten to start the 2024 season and move to the top of the NRL ladder, thrashing the Dragons 46-24 in Kogarah thanks to a remarkable 42-point blitz.
The Cowboys trailed 18-4 after 20 minutes, with the Dragons hitting the front thanks to three tries in 10 minutes.
The Dragons were rolling when Kyle Flanagan crossed next to the posts in the 19th minute and when the conversion was added, the home side forged a handy lead in front of an excited crowd at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium.
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A major turning point in the game came in the 23rd minute, when Dragons forward Ray Faitala-Mariner bombed a certain try.
He looked a sure thing of scoring after chasing down a grubber, but dropped the ball cold over the line. It would have given the home side a 24-4 lead.
It turned out to be a crucial error.
The Cowboys would march down the field and score in the next set. The first of seven straight tries.
Reece Robson provided excellent service out of dummy-half, setting up three tries close to the line to forwards Griffin Neame, Kulikefu Finefeuiaki and Sam McIntyre.
Fullback Scott Drinkwater was everywhere in attack as was star centre Valentine Holmes, with the two proving a handful for the Dragons defence, with the pair both adding four pointers.
While there were plenty of promising signs in the first half, it’s back to the drawing board for Dragons coach Shane Flanagan, who’s side has now conceded 84 points in the last two games.
WHAT WE LEARNED
VETERAN FORWARD’S CRUCIAL ERROR SPARKS COWBOYS RUN
The Dragons had all the momentum with an 18-4 lead in the 22nd minute.
It would have been 24-4 had Faitala-Mariner not spilled a Ben Hunt grubber.
As it turned out, it was a huge moment of the game as the Cowboys would score in the next set and put on 42 straight points.
“A good hit back because they were under the pump,” Greg Alexander said on Fox League.
“If Faitala-Mariner scores there its a 20 point lead.
“And even for the Cowboys, it’s very close to game over,” Dan Ginnane added.
Now, considering how potent North Queensland looked with ball in hand, there’s every chance they could have overturned a 20 point lead.
But there is no doubting it would have been a different ball game.
STARS SHINE IN ATTACKING BLITZ
NQ centre Valentine Holmes had a night to forget against the Knights last week, missing a few conversions and making a number of uncharacteristic errors.
However, he quickly atoned with an outstanding display against a porous Dragons defence.
Holmes was arguably the best on ground, running for 226 metres from 20 hit ups, recorded seven tackle busts, scored a try and kicked seven goals for a personal haul of 18 points.
If Holmes wasn’t the best on ground, fullback Scott Drinkwater probably was.
Drinkwater had been quiet by his lofty standards over the first two weeks, but he turned it on in Kogarah, playing much like he did for much of 2023 when he finished tied-4th in the Dally M Player of the Year race.
Drinkwater recorded two try assists, had five tackle busts, ran for over 100 metres and scored a try in the Cowboys’ rout.
FINEFEUIAKI FIRES
When Blake Lawrie ran a kick-off back hard, his head connected with Kulikefu Finefeuiaki’s head and saw the Cowboys man driven back and taken from the field with blood streaming from a facial cut. Finefeuiaki would pass a category two HIA.
Finefeuiaki returned to score a try, make bustling runs and effect 23 tackles in 59 minutes that will have other clubs interested given the 20-year-old is off-contract after this season.
If the Dragons had a positive it was the form of former Cowboys backrower Luciano Leilua who was dangerous on the left edge and played the ball quickly.
The Dragons have never conceded 50 points at the ground once known as Kogarah-Jubilee.
– NCA Newswire’s Matt Cleary
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