North Queensland 18 Brisbane 32

THEY say you should always keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Last night's horror show in Townsville showed why.

Enemies for so long, North Queensland did Brisbane a massive favour last night, handing the Broncos, and especially their key playmakers Darren Lockyer and Peter Wallace, a badly needed shot of confidence. If the Broncos motor on from here, they can thank the Cowboys for jump-starting them.

The Cowboys have often been considered the Broncos' little brother, and last night's game resembled one of those backyard encounters that would have resulted in mum giving the older sibling a major dressing down for beating up on the bub.

The Cowboys came into the game with 10 straight losses under their belt, and they turned it up to 11. The worst thing about the performance was that the Broncos were by no means great; they made mistakes too, but they took that belt off the Cowboys, pulled their pants down and gave them a whack.

It was a sorry night for a sorry looking team - the Cowboys lost halfback Johnathan Thurston for a month during the week and centre Ashley Graham was wearing his Cowboys uniform by half-time after dislocating a shoulder.

While the Cowboys were losing players, the Broncos were getting them back. Lockyer, playing at the ground where his knees troubles started last season, was in the game early and often. He was taken off with 10 minutes remaining, job well done and confidence in his knee and his team no doubt restored.

In the fourth minute, winger Kaine Manihera was on the end of Sam Thaiday's pass to score his first try in the NRL. After 14 minutes, it was Thaiday on the end of the perfect bounce; Wallace's kick was touched by Sione Faumuina and the rampaging Bronco showed more enthusiasm than Cowboys winger Ty Williams.

The Cowboys weren't helping themselves. It was a dry night in Townsville but the Cowboys were using a cake of soap. Halfway through the first half they had completed half their sets. And when they did find themselves in enemy territory, they dropped their bundle and the ball. Their errors were costing them dearly.

After 27 minutes, another mistake for another try. Cowboys winger John Williams could not grasp a Michael Ennis grubber and winger Denan Kemp picked up the scraps. The Cowboys' frustrations were clear; Anthony Watts came in late on Kemp with his knees and the winger's kidney area would have been hurting as much as Cowboy pride.

For a while anyway. Two tries within three minutes - the first to Darius Boyd (again, following a Cowboys mistake) and the next to Thaiday gave the Broncos a 26-0 lead at the break as the Cowboys self-destructed with 11 errors in one half of football.

Thankfully, the momentum shifted after the break. Williams, who had tried hard in the first half but had come up with two mistakes which led to Brisbane tries, earned credit for his endeavour when he found himself on the end of Watts' deft kick to score.

The Cowboys had lifted a level, but the Broncos had dropped a few. That was never more evident after 55 minutes when prop Shane Tronc barged through some soft goal-line defence.

Credit to the Cowboys, they fought back, and had Dayne Weston held onto Travis Burns' ball almost on the hour, the game would have been alive. When Weston was then penalised for striking Karmichael Hunt's shoulder - a hit which dislodged the ball from the fullback's grasp - it was clear it was not their night.

Kemp scored soon after, wrapping up the contest but hardly ending the feeling between the two sides. Watts shoved Kemp's head into the grass - a grubby little play from the little brother, and the Broncos retaliated as big brother should. Let's face it, there ain't a better way to rub someone's face in the dirt than to inflict a morale-sapping defeat on them.

BRISBANE 32 (S Thaiday 2, D Kemp 2, K Manihera, D Boyd tries; M Ennis 4 goals) bt NORTH QUEENSLAND 18 (J Williams, S Tronc, S Southern tries; J Williams 3 goals) at Dairy Farmers Stadium. Referee: B Cummins. Crowd: 22,048.