Cowboys 48 Warriors 20
NORTH Queensland continued their recovery from an awful start to the season by flogging the Warriors to stretch their winning streak to three at Dairy Farmers Stadium last night.
The Cowboys lost their first three games - to Gold Coast, Wests Tigers and Brisbane - but have responded with wins over Parramatta, St George Illawarra and now the Warriors to remind everyone they are still premiership contenders.
The Warriors had hoped to wash away the memory of their 49-12 loss to the Cowboys in Townsville during last year's finals but were always under pressure trying to keep the Cowboys at bay.
North Queensland's star halfback Johnathan Thurston was ill going into the game but that didn't stop him helping carve up the Warriors. The job had been well done by the time Thurston was afforded an early mark in the 68th minute.
The Warriors quickly fell behind and never recovered.
Cowboys fullback Matt Bowen crossed in the eighth minute and Thurston converted. Four minutes later five-eighth Justin Smith made it 10-0 and the Warriors were forced to try to play catch-up, a challenge so many visiting teams have found impossible in Townsville in recent years.
The Warriors did score next, through second-rower Simon Mannering, converted by five-eighth Michael Witt, but whenever the visitors made inroads the home side responded.
Second-rower Steve Southern scored and Thurston converted to bump the lead back out to 10 points
but a penalty goal from Witt and a try by replacement Ian Henderson - converted by Witt - pulled the Warriors back to just 16-14 down as halftime approached.
Bowen's second try, a minute before the break, knocked the wind out of the Warriors' sails and the Cowboys went to the break up 22-14.
The Cowboys put the heat straight back on when winger John Williams outjumped Manu Vatuvei to a Thurston bomb in the 46th minute.
Further tries to Ben Harris, Ashley Graham and Bowen (his third) finished off the Warriors for good.
NORTH QUEENSLAND 48 (M Bowen 3 B Harris 2 A Graham J Smith S Southern J Williams tries J Thurston 6 goals) bt NZ WARRIORS 20 (I Henderson S Mannering J Ropati tries M Witt 4 goals) at Dairy Farmers Stdm. Referee: J Robinson. Crowd: 20,554.
