NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS 30 BRISBANE BRONCOS 38
IAN HOWE, Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Saturday

BRISBANE BRONCOS moved into the top four with a thrilling victory against the Cowboys in a performance that had twelve thrilling tries for a sold-out clash in Townsville.

But they didn’t have things all their own way against their Queensland rivals, who, having a bye round next week, were playing their last game of a disappointing season.

The Broncos opened the scoring after two minutes through Gahamat Shibasaki and, aided by the sixth-minute sin-binning of Cowboys winger Braidon Burns for an illegal challenge on superstar Reece Walsh after he kicked the ball, they scored their second through Kotoni Staggs.

But the Cowboys hit back with three tries of their own from Semi Valemei, Reece Robson and former Hull FC star Jake Clifford to lead 18-12, before the Broncos hit them with two late first-half tries from Josiah Karapani and Walsh to lead 22-18 at the break.

The Cowboys pulled ahead again when Valemei intercepted a Walsh pass to score his second try before it was Shibasaki’s turn to add a second from a brilliant Billy Walters pass for the Broncos to restore a two-point lead. Walters then scored himself to extend that lead to eight points.

North Queensland were unlucky when Jeremiah Nanai touched down, only to be denied by the Bunker, and Payne Haas sealed victory with a barnstorming score on 70 minutes before Burns scored a late consolation try for the Cowboys.

COWBOYS: 1 Scott Drinkwater, 2 Semi Valemei, 3 Jaxon Purdue, 14 Zac Laybutt, 5 Braidon Burns, 6 Jake Clifford, 7 Tom Dearden, 8 Jordan McLean, 9 Reece Robson, 10 Jason Taumalolo, 11 John Bateman, 12 Jeremiah Nanai, 13 Reuben Cotter. Subs (all used): 15 Karl Lawton, 16 Harrison Edwards, 17 Thomas Mikaele, 18 Kai O’Donnell

Tries: Valemei (14, 47), Robson (18), Clifford (34), Burns (75); Goals: Drinkwater 5/5; Sin bin: Burns (6) – illegal challenge on kicker

BRONCOS: 1 Reece Walsh, 2 Josiah Karapani, 3 Kotoni Staggs, 4 Gehamat Shibasaki, 5 Deine Mariner, 6 Billy Walters, 7 Ben Hunt, 8 Corey Jensen, 9 Cory Paix, 10 Payne Haas, 11 Jaiyden Hunt, 12 Jordan Riki, 13 Patrick Carrigan. Subs (all used): 14 Tyson Smoothy, 15 Kobe Hetherington, 16 Ben Talty, 17 Brendan Piakura

Tries: Shibasaki (2, 51), Staggs (9), Karapani (37), Walsh (39), Walters (58), Haas (70); Goals: Walsh 5/7

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-12, 6-12, 12-12, 18-12, 18-18, 18-22; 24-22, 24-26, 24-32, 24-38, 30-38

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Cowboys: Tom Dearden; Broncos: Reece Walsh

Penalty count: 5-2; Half-time: 18-22; Referee: Ashley Klein; Attendance: 22,903