Melbourne Storm have moved back on top of the NRL ladder, for now at least, with an eight point win over the North Queensland Cowboys in Townsville.
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Final score
Cowboys 8
Storm 16
The North Queensland Cowboys host the Melbourne Storm in a Round 21 clash of two of the competition’s heavyweights in Townsville. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 7:30pm (AEST).
A Cameron Smith field goal in the dying minutes was all that separated these two teams when they met in Round 10 at Suncorp Stadium, with the Storm winning 15-14 in a thriller.
The Cowboys will be without Johnathan Thurston, who strained his hamstring in North Queensland’s 36-0 thumping of the Bulldogs in Townsville last week, with Ray Thompson to wear the number 7 jersey. Kyle Feldt is still out through suspension, with Javid Bowen once again filling in on the wing.
Craig Bellamy has named an unchanged Storm line-up to the one that beat the Roosters 26-10 in Melbourne last weekend.
A win will see the Storm stay in the race for the minor premiership, as they currently sit just two points behind ladder leaders Cronulla, but have a superior for and against if the Sharks’ incredible 15-match winning streak bursts.
A Cowboys win would further consolidate their place in the top four. They have one of the best attacking records in the NRL in 2016, but that will be tested without Thurston. Michael Morgan, Lachlan Coote and Jake Granville will all shoulder more playmaking responsibility, along with Thompson.
The Storm have the best defensive record in the NRL this season, conceding an average of just 11 points per game.
Prediction
In an early preview of finals football the Cowboys will overcome the absence of Thurston to win a close one at home.
Join The Roar at 7:30pm (AEST) for score updates and debate in our live blog.
Ken
Guest
The cowboys v storm game was a hard fought game but ruined again by the bunker and refereeing decisions why does the nrl find it necessary to allow this to happen it is ruining our game the supporters have just about had enough surely this poor decision making can be stopped you stop the team coaches and captains voicing their discussed you fine them but do nothing to the refs and bunker for costing a team the game between the bunker the poor refereeing and sport betting you are driving people away from the game we love. I live 6 hours from townsville im a season ticket holder and attend as many games as my work allows but im seriously thinking of not renewing my tickets due to unfair refs as ben cummings and the bunker please nrl do something to straighten this crap out.
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
Keep in mind that the storm appear to be big fans of doing enough to win rather than putting teams to the sword. When they get a good early lead they open up a bit with some flair or when they have the oppurtunity to exploit a glaring weakness they'll do it better than anyone, but in an arm wrestle they're not going to push that pass or play the cheeky play. They're going to tie a noose around your neck and you're going to be the one who tightens it.
Alex L
Roar Rookie
Rene; I thought the disparity of ruck speed -- especially around the middle of the first half was very significant.
Renegade
Roar Guru
"Most of the better teams lift post origins and through the finals"... Well that's not the storm considering they've won 1 finals game since 2012...
Richard Maybury
Guest
They did well in defence, I think it was their attack that let them down and that is where Thurston's influence counts.
Richard Maybury
Guest
Yeah, I think that match up would make a great GF
Richard Maybury
Guest
The storm are deceptive. What they do looks simple and commonplace but very few teams find ways to stop them. For me. the sharks lack finals experience. Most of the better teams lift post Origin and through the finals and I don't think that the sharks can. The sharks are too busy slapping themselves on the back and think they have won it already. Their run will soon come to an end and when it does, I think that BJ will be proved right.
Renegade
Roar Guru
I don't think they got thumped in the middle at all.... For mine, the Sharks and Cowboys are the two best teams in the comp and nothing I saw tonight made me want to change my views on that.
Big J
Guest
Absolutely That would be like a Ali v Frazier fight match made in heaven and too close to call
John Coomer
Roar Guru
Cronk v Thurston in such a big game would be very interesting on its own.
Big J
Guest
I agree this is also my tip for the gf, as much as I would love to see the sharkies there I'll think on Monday the Titans will get them and then will see the wheels start to fall off for them. Could be wrong but I'd love to see a storm v Cowboys gf.
John Coomer
Roar Guru
Thanks for joining me on tonight’s coverage, hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to leave your comments, and make sure you log in to the live Roar blog of the Souths/Canberra clash from 2pm AEST tomorrow.
John Coomer
Roar Guru
I think the Cowboys will take heart that they were only beaten by 8.
John Coomer
Roar Guru
They are certainly looking the goods, they rarely put in a below par performance.
John Coomer
Roar Guru
Match summary Melbourne 16 Cowboys 8 The Melbourne Storm have at least temporarily taken top spot on the ladder with a hard-fought but clinical 16-8 victory over the Cowboys in Townsville tonight. It was the Cowboys first defeat in Townsville this season. The Storm will retain the number one spot if the Titans can break Cronulla’s 15 match winning streak on Monday night, as they have a superior for and against to the Sharks. The Cowboys tried hard, but missed Johnathan Thurston who was out with a hamstring injury. They lacked the execution and polish to really test the Storm’s rock solid defence. Melbourne showed again tonight why they have the best defensive record in the NRL in 2016. The Cowboys put on first points through a penalty goal but it was the Storm that dominated field position early, with their forwards making easy metres. Melbourne crossed for the first two tries of the match in the space of three minutes, with Kevin Proctor and Marika Koroibete both going over inside the first 15 minutes. The Cowboys hit back with a try of their own to winger Antonio Winterstein, but the Storm scored again just before half-time with Glasby ruled to have grounded a Cronk grubber kick. The second half was a scoreless arm wrestle, with the Storm’s kicking game and defence strangling the Cowboys out of the match. Cooper Cronk’s game management skills and the Storm’s composure were on display yet again, with the number 7’s kicking game putting the Cowboys under constant pressure. Ethan Lowe and Jason Taumalolo both got through a mountain of work in both attack and defence for the Cowboys, but the Storm deserved their victory. Try scorers (Melbourne): Kevin Proctor, Marika Koroibete, Tim Glasby Top metres gained (Melbourne): Marika Koroibete 176, Jesse Bromwich 161, Kevin Proctor 129 Top tacklers (Melbourne): Tohu Harris 44, Cameron Smith 43, Blake Green 34, Dale Finucane 34 Try scorer (Cowboys): Antonio Winterstein Top metres gained (Cowboys): Ethan Lowe 194, Antonio Winterstein 151, Jason Taumalolo 139 Top tacklers (Cowboys): Jason Taumalolo 41, Ethan Lowe 34, Jake Granville 32 Roar MVP Points 3 – Cooper Cronk (Melbourne). Showed the difference a top quality number 7 can make in a big game between two evenly matched teams. His kicking game was superb and he had two try assists. 2 – Ethan Lowe (Cowboys). The Cowboys’ workhorse made a game high 194 metres in attack, and came up with 34 tackles in attack. He also did a great JT goal-kicking impersonation, bending a conversion between the posts from the touchline. 1 – Jason Taumalolo (Cowboys). The second hardest working forward on the field behind Lowe, with 139 metres in attack and 41 tackles.
Richard Maybury
Guest
The storm are starting to get some of their injured stars back. As they get back upto speed it is going to get even harder to stop them. Unless these two are pitched against each other earlier in the finals series, they are my bet for the GF.
Alex L
Roar Rookie
Cowboys are going to want to put that down to the lack of Thurston, but honestly they got thumped in the middle of the pitch -- Bromwich and Finucane stamped themselves on the game early and with force.
John Coomer
Roar Guru
Full-time The hooter sounds and its victory for the Storm! Cowboys 8 Melbourne 16
John Coomer
Roar Guru
79’ Storm back in possession, the Melbourne defence is too tough for the desperate Cowboys to crack. Cowboys 8 Melbourne 16
John Coomer
Roar Guru
78’ Desperate set from the Cowboys and they now get a penalty 20 metres out! Cowboys 8 Melbourne 16