North Queensland kept their hopes of a top-four finish alive with a come-from-behind 28-20 NRL win over Cronulla at Dairy Farmers Stadium on Saturday night.
Coming off the back of a three-match losing streak, the Cowboys needed to win their final two matches to have any hope of earning a home final.
They finished the match with just two players on the bench after losing Tariq Sims (broken leg) and Dallas Johnson (concussion) to injury but finished over the top of the gallant Sharks.
Well out of finals contention, 13th-placed Cronulla came to play for pride and contracts and got off to a racing start when Isaac Gordon opened the scoring in the first minute, streaking through the defence and running 50m to score.
A season-ending injury to Sims on the half-hour mark couldn’t knock the Cowboys and teenager Jason Taumololo scored his first career NRL try in the 32nd minute, finding a gap two metres out from the Sharks line.
The Sharks took back the lead through Wade Graham just before half time, with the halfback crossing underneath the sticks after receiving an offload by fullback Gordon.
Trailing 14-6, the Cowboys came out fastest after the break and Glenn Hall brought them to within two points just three minutes into the half when he stepped through a gaping hole in the Sharks defence.
Winger Ash Graham put the Cowboys into the lead for the first time on 61 minutes with a diving effort in the right corner.
But the Sharks hit straight back on 65 minutes through Paul Aiton, stepping winger Kalifa Faifai-Loa after five-eighth Albert Kelly broke the line.
However Taumololo bashed his way over for the second try of the night, forcing three defenders with him and reaching out directly underneath the sticks on 71 minutes before Johnathan Thurston converted to put the home side up 22-20.
Fullback Matt Bowen sealed the win in the final minute, collecting his own grubber kick to cross for North Queensland’s fifth try of the match.
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