NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS enjoyed success for the first time this season, and it will have tasted all the sweeter for being earned from 16-0 down at Magic Round in Wagga Wagga.
Against top-six chasers CANBERRA RAIDERS, they looked finished with 25 minutes to go when Sheridan Gallagher added to earlier tries by Elise Simpson and Grace Kukutai and Zahara Temara landed her second conversion.
A Charlize Lloyd-Phillips try gave North Queensland hope, then Rosie Kelly kicked a penalty-goal and successfully landed conversions of Margot Vella’s six-minute double to make it 18-16.
That leaves PARRAMATTA EELS as the last team waiting to get off the mark, having lost 32-12 to NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS in the final game of the weekend.
Mercedez Taulelei-Siala scored two tries and fellow youngster Sidney Taylor scored one while Olivia Higgins, Tenika Willison and Lucy Spain also crossed and Kirra Dibb added four Newcastle goals.
For Parramatta, Elsie Albert and Keilee Joseph’s second-half tries were converted by Rachael Pearson and Rueben Cherrington respectively.
At the top, BRISBANE BRONCOS and SYDNEY ROOSTERS extended their winning starts to five from five.
Brisbane led inside two minutes thanks to Lauren Dam and never let up in a 34-4 win over CANTERBURY BULLDOGS which also featured tries from Bree Spreadborough, Georgia Bartlett, Tamika Upton, Julia Robinson – a spectacular aerial catch-and-touchdown – and Jada Ferguson.
Jesse Southwell converted five of six Broncos tries while Canterbury could only muster a Monica Tagoai try at the start of the second half.
For the Roosters, Jessica Sergis scored a hat-trick, Keeley Nizza, Jasmin Strange, Jayme Fressard and Isabelle Kelly also got tries while Jocelyn Kelleher kicked five conversions for a 38-8 scoreline against ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS.
St George kept in touch for a time with Taliah Fuimaono and Tahlia O’Brien tries but fell away.
GOLD COAST TITANS remain in third spot after withstanding a NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS fightback to hold on 18-16.
Ivana Lolesio, Evania Isa’ako and Indie Bostock tries plus three Lauren Brown goals appeared to have a Titans win wrapped up.
In the final 20 minutes, Mele Hufanga, Ivana Lauitiiti and Stacey Waaka scored in quick succession, although crucially Patricia Maliepo couldn’t convert the last of them.
WESTS TIGERS, who took home the wooden spoon last year, continue to impress and earned their third win of this campaign, 32-20 against CRONULLA SHARKS, in the weekend’s opening game.
Raecene McGregor starred with two solo tries, two assists and four conversions in a game which was tied 10-10 at half-time.
Emily Bass also touched down twice for Wests, as did Georgia Ravics for Cronulla, who also registered Caitlan Johnston-Green and Jada Taylor tries, both improved by Chantay Kiria-Ratu.
Namoe Gesa and Salma Nour tries sealed the Tigers’ victory in the final twelve minutes.
Over the two days, 14,050 attended Magic Round at Geohex Park.
Results
Saturday 1 August
Cronulla Sharks 20 Wests Tigers 32
St George Illawarra Dragons 8 Sydney Roosters 38
Canberra Raiders 16 North Queensland Cowboys 18
Sunday 2 August
Canterbury Bulldogs 4 Brisbane Broncos 34
New Zealand Warriors 16 Gold Coast Titans 18
Parramatta Eels 12 Newcastle Knights 32
Fixtures
Saturday 8 August
Canterbury Bulldogs v North Queensland Cowboys (3.45am)
Cronulla Sharks v Gold Coast Titans (6.15am)
New Zealand Warriors v Newcastle Knights (8.15am)
Sunday 9 August
Canberra Raiders v Brisbane Broncos (2.35am)
St George Illawarra Dragons v Wests Tigers (4.35am)
Sydney Roosters v Parramatta Eels (9.15am)
(All UK time, all on Sky and Watch NRL)
Table
Brisbane Broncos 10 pts
Sydney Roosters 10 pts
Gold Coast Titans 8 pts
Newcastle Knights 6 pts
New Zealand Warriors 6 pts
Wests Tigers 6 pts
Canberra Raiders 4 pts
Canterbury Bulldogs 4 pts
Cronulla Sharks 2 pts
St George Illawarra Dragons 2 pts
North Queensland Cowboys 2 pts
Parramatta Eels 0 pts