THIS blog is a little late; well, a week late anyway. I would have got around to writing about the North Queensland Cowboys' match against Manly last weekend, if not for the enfolding spectacle that was the 2012 Olympics.
It's kind of apt though that the Olympics were on, for the Cowboys seemed to channel the Australian Olympic team; or at least the swimmers. The premiers had put the Cowboys to the sword in their semi-final clash last year after the Cowboys were up 8-0 at halftime; this time around it was Manly leading 6-0 at the main break. Local hopes went up when Kane Linnett took advantage of a bouncing ball to score, only for Jamie Lyon to edge Manly ahead with a penalty goal. As hard as the Cowboys tried, they couldn't quite crack the Manly line again, leaving them narrow silver medallists in this two-team event they were favourites to win.
Another week passes, and Australia starts winning some gold again. First up Tom Slingsby breaks through for Australia's second gold of the games before another five follow suit for a a veritable goldrush. Likewise, when Matty Bowen scores early in the Cowboys' round 23 game against the New Zealand Warriors, the floodgates opened. Ash Graham scored twice and Antonio Winterstein once to leave them up 22-0 after 20 minutes.
The Warriors scored in the 38th minute to give them a slight chance if they had their heads back on after the break. Linnett put paid to that with a 44th minute try before Gavin Cooper and Brent Tate crossed; Aaron Payne soon after for his first try of the season; and finally Ashley Graham with his third for the night to keep him just one try behind the Bulldogs' Ben Barba for the title of season's leading try-scorer.
So three rounds to go and the Cowboys four points ahead of 9th with the third-best for-and-against of the competition. The three are against St George-Illawarra away, Newcastle at home before the Sharks away. Win all three and the Cowboys are a chance of a top-four spot with the double-chance that entails; lose any and a tough run to the grand final looms.
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS 6 (Linnett try, Thurston 1/1 goal) lost to Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 8
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS 52 (Graham 3, Bowen, Winterstein, Linnett, Cooper, Tate, Payne tries; Thurston 8/9 goals) defeated New Zealand Warriors 12
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment