NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS 20 MELBOURNE STORM 26
STEPHEN IBBETSON, Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Saturday
NICK MEANEY scored a second-half double to ensure Melbourne avoided a slip-up at Scott Drinkwater-inpsired North Queensland.
Standing in at fullback following the late withdrawal of Ryan Papenhuyzen with a calf injury, Meaney scored 18 of patched-up Storm’s points, converting all four tries and also kicking a penalty-goal in between his two touchdowns.
Melbourne trailed 18-12 when Meaney began his match-winning ten-minute spell with a burst through the line from 30 metres out.
And after nudging his side in front following high contact on the ground by Coen Hess, Meaney took Shawn Blore’s offload to cross from close range.
That flipped the script after Drinkwater ran the Cowboys’ show, assisting two first-half tries and then supporting a Jake Clifford break to put them in front early in the second.
His wide pass teed up Robert Derby while Drinkwater also set Jaxon Purdue away for a thrilling try, each time cancelling out Melbourne efforts, by Eliesa Katoa – off a high kick – and battering ram Nelson Asofa-Solomona.
Drinkwater also kicked a late penalty for a one-score finish after Storm failed to kick a drop-out in time, but North Queensland fell short.
COWBOYS: 1 Scott Drinkwater, 2 Robert Derby, 3 Jaxon Purdue, 4 Zac Laybutt, 18 Braidon Burns, 6 Jake Clifford, 7 Thomas Duffy, 8 Jordan McLean, 9 Harrison Edwards, 10 Griffin Neame, 11 John Bateman, 12 Kai O’Donnell, 13 Sam McIntyre. Subs (all used): 14 Temple Kalepo, 15 Thomas Mikaele, 16 Kaiden Lahrs, 17 Coen Hess
Tries: Derby (17), Purdue (37), Drinkwater (51); Goals: Drinkwater 3/3, Clifford 1/1
STORM: 4 Nick Meaney, 5 Kane Bradley, 2 Grant Anderson, 3 Joe Chan, 22 Siulagi Tuimalatu-Brown, 6 Tyran Wishart, 7 Jahrome Hughes, 8 Tui Kamikamica, 9 Bronson Garlick, 10 Josh King, 11 Shawn Blore, 12 Eliesa Katoa, 15 Alec MacDonald. Subs (all used): 13 Nelson Asofa-Solomona, 14 Jonah Pezet, 16 Lazarus Vaalepu, 17 Ativalu Lisati
Tries: Katoa (9), Asofa-Solomona (29), Meaney (56, 65); Goals: Meaney 5/5
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 6-6, 6-12, 12-12; 18-12, 18-18, 18-20, 18-26, 20-26
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Cowboys: Scott Drinkwater; Storm: Nick Meaney
Penalty count: 5-5; Half-time: 12-12; Referee: Liam Kennedy; Attendance: 20,383