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Cowboys rule supreme in the Top End

Is being in the stadium better than watching from home? (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
Roar Guru
11th June, 2017
14

League fans in Darwin got their annual fix of NRL action on Saturday night and it did not disappoint.

The North Queensland Cowboys dominated the Parramatta Eels at the TIO Stadium. In front of the 11,968-strong crowd that was 70 per cent Cowboys fans, the boys from North Queensland won 32-6.

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While there was plenty of support for the Cowboys, the stadium was also full of league fans of all stripes as every NRL jersey was on site – including Queensland and NSW. It showed that all league fans wanted their fix in the Top End.

Johnathan Thurston returned to the NRL with a perfect ten performance, having a hand in most of the Cowboys points. The Cowboys got out to an early lead with Kyle Feldt scoring off a Thurston kick to lead 6-0.

Shortly thereafter the Cowboys would stretch out the lead to 10-0.

Thurston himself would be part of the scoring and give the Cowboys a 14-0 lead at half time.

With Kyle Feldt scoring a double, the Eels had little answer to the Cowboys onslaught – only managing to score in the 60th minute.

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The Darwin crowd was entertained not only by the game but by the old Mexican wave, which found its way around ground.

Then there were the halftime games played by the kids. The try of the night goes to a little blonde boy that ran thirty-five metres around the entire opposition – and the ref – to make his individual effort. It was a crowd favourite and completed with a high five with the ref.

This destruction of the Eels has caused them to lose their undefeated streak in Darwin as it now stands at 3-1. This could possibly mean that the NT government could be looking for a new team as clearly the support for the Eels was not there.

Maybe the Cowboys or the Storm would be better replacements. The possibility of more than just one game per year would also help.

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