SYDNEY ROOSTERS 12 NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS 18
CALLUM WALKER, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, Saturday

NORTH QUEENSLAND shrugged off a late Roosters onslaught to make it seven wins from 11 games in 2026.

The Cowboys led 18-6 at half-time and failed to score any points in a second-half that was dominated by Trent Robinson’s men.

The Roosters actually began the brighter of the two sides, Connor Watson feeding Robert Toia with a delightful grubber as Cody Ramsey took Toia’s pass to cross in the corner.

It was Ramsey’s first four-pointer in 1351 days after overcoming ulcerative colitis, but that was as good as it got for the Roosters in the first-half.

North Queensland weren’t helped by Matt Lodge being sent to the sinbin for a dangerous tackle, before Braidon Burns crossed around the midway point in the first-half to restore parity.

Scott Drinkwater was the next man over the line moments later, Toia spilling a Jake Clifford bomb into the arms of the Cowboys’ fullback.

It was three tries in nine minutes on the half-hour mark, Burns getting his second following good work on his inside by Jaxon Purdue.

Clifford converted all three for an 18-6 lead at the break.

But, when Hugo Savala dotted down just before the hour to reduce the deficit to six, it set up a grandstand finish even if the Cowboys did hold on.

ROOSTERS: 1 James Tedesco, 2 Daniel Tupou, 3 Hugo Savala, 4 Robert Toia, 5 Cody Ramsey, 6 Daly Cherry-Evans, 7 Sam Walker, 8 Naufahu Whyte, Reece Robson, 10 Lindsay Collins, 11 Angus Crichton, 12 Siua Wong, 13 Connor Watson. Subs: 14 Egan Butcher, 15 Spencer Leniu, 16 Nat Butcher, 17 Salesi Foketi, 18 Fetalaiga Pauga (not used), 19 Reece Foley (not used)

Tries: Ramsey (10), Savala (55); Goals: Walker 2/2

COWBOYS: 1 Scott Drinkwater, 2 Braidon Burns, 3 Jaxon Purdue, 4 Tom Chester, 5 Zac Laybutt, 6 Liam Sutton ,7 Jake Clifford, 8 Thomas Mikaele, 9 Reed Mahoney, 10 Matt Lodge, 11 Heilum Luki, 12 Sam McIntyre, 13 Reuben Cotter. Subs: 14 Xavier Kerrisk (not used), 15 Griffin Neame, 16 Robert Derby, 17 Coen Hess, 18 Wiremu Greig, 19 Ethan King (not used)

Tries: Burns (23, 32), Drinkwater (28); Goals: Clifford 3/3; Sin bin: Lodge (12) –  dangerous tackle, Cotter (55) – professional foul

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 6-6, 6-12, 6-18; 12-18

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Roosters: Connor Watson; Cowboys: Braidon Burns

Penalty count: 7-5; Half-time: 6-18; Referee: Todd Smith; Attendance: 49,813