The clubs involved in Round 14’s Friday night NRL action appear unlikely to play finals.
The Titans, Warriors, Tigers and Cowboys all sit outside the eight and one could have been excused for having an early night and skipping the matches.
I’m glad I didn’t.
The Tigers jumped the Cowboys in Townsville and the contest was gripping from start to finish. The home side appeared uninterested, distracted or derelict in duty in the opening half and Wests took full advantage.
Michael Chee Kam, Ryan Matterson and David Nofoaluma scored tries within the first 27 minutes to set up an 18-0 lead for the visitors.
The Cowboys had multiple chances to pull back that advantage, yet bumbled their way through the half. They managed one try to Kyle Feldt but perhaps should have done better considering the amount of ball and quality of field position they enjoyed late in the half.
A late penalty goal to Esan Marsters saw the Tigers take a seemingly insurmountable 20-6 lead into the break.
Predictably, North Queensland coach Paul Green went berserk at half-time. It worked.
Miraculously, the Cowboys were once again a football team as soon as the second half began. It took just three minutes for Michael Morgan to cross the stripe and, when Javid Bowen pounced on a loose ball in the in-goal area in the 51st minute, North Queensland had reduced the deficit to 20-18.
When Jake Clifford slotted a penalty goal from point blank range, astonishingly, the scores were level after 58 minutes.
The final 20 would provide much drama. The Tigers enjoyed the best of the initial stages, with Chee Kam getting within inches of re-establishing a lead. Somehow the Cowboys held on and a ruck penalty swung momentum their way seconds later.
From there, the home side began to apply some consistent pressure and, when Kyle Feldt crossed in the 70th minute, they took the lead for the first time.
It wasn’t long before typical NRL drama ensued. Chee Kam was awarded a penalty try after being hit high as he attempted to cross the line. The Bunker confirmed the illegality in Jordan Kahu’s tackle and the Tigers retook the lead 26-24.
With just two minutes remaining on the clock a Cowboy’s penalty goal levelled the scores again.
Golden point it would be and the Tigers took first use of the ball. There were to be three chances to win it with field goals, with Benji Marshall doing the business on the third attempt.
The veteran’s kick gave his side a 27-26 victory, despite faltering in the second half.
Benji Marshall came up clutch. (Photo by Jenny Evans/Getty Images)
In the earlier encounter, the Titans hosted the Warriors, in a match that probably held little interest for many NRL fans.
Despite that unfortunate reality, the sides put on a cracking affair and the Warriors grabbed the two points in one of their most disciplined displays of 2019.
The New Zealanders took the ascendancy early, with two tries in the opening 12 minutes seeing them establish a 10-0 lead. Both tries came off the back of referee assistance.
The first came from a penalty on the fourth tackle that piggy-backed the Warriors down field and the second stemmed from an appalling forward pass call against the Titans. That decision halted the home side while they were on the attack and effectively gifted the Warriors a try in the corner.
In the 23rd minute, Ryley Jacks opened the scoring for Gold Coast and, when Brian Kelly crossed just three minutes later, the conversion had the home side ahead 12-10.
After a late Issac Luke penalty sent the teams to the sheds level, a high scoring second half appeared likely. However, the arm wrestle began and 25 minutes of hard, tough football was to follow. Then the match exploded.
After a Tyrone Roberts penalty gave the Titans a 14-12 lead, the Warriors took control. Converted tries to Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Ken Maumalo had the visitors well in front after 75 minutes, before the home side mounted a late charge.
Down 24-14, AJ Brimson crossed out wide for Gold Coast and Roberts’ conversion sent the game into a thrilling final three minutes. Despite moments of madness as the home side sought a stunning last gasp victory, the Warriors held on and claimed their fifth win of the season.
Even though the match was a battle between 15th and 13th on the ladder, the contest once again proved just how competitive and exciting the NRL competition can be, irrespective of team’s positions on the ladder.
So much for a night of boring football featuring four teams outside the eight!
Rob
Guest
Jimmmy did you know Chee Kam is currently registering a drop ball every 9 times he touches it? He actually in the top couple of players for butter fingers.
Rob
Guest
Interestingly Chee Kam is in the top 10 forwards in the Comp for dropping the football? Burgess leads with 18 errors in 966 minutes of football, Chee Kam has made 11 errors in less than 532 minutes on the field. Only Asofa Solomona has dropped the pill more Chee Kam per minutes played ? Then again Asofa has registered 54 more runs of the football than Chee Kam. Not sure Chee Kam is some one you could say is a safe ball carrier or a great hold on the ball?
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
Another one like that is overdue.
Rob
Guest
LOL. Typical comment from an opponent who is happy to gloat when the officials have gifted his team the points. Tigers supporter I guess? Interestingly the crap Cowboys 782 have scored more points against the Tigers 773 during their history. JT won the games you say? That’s hilarious as the Tigers beat the Cowboys on 16 out of 22 games when JT was playing. With out JT the Cowboys have a 9 to 3 win record over the Tigers. As a Tigers supporter do you really want to throw shade about recruitment and retention over the recent period? Enjoy your 2 points but I don’t think the Tigers are going anywhere fast.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
I was supplying the NSWRL in the early 90s with some software, written in Pascal, to enter scores updating the competition table and viewing past year tables. For some reason that I now forget I was given the Rules of Rugby League to look at and I noticed that the knock on rule, defined as knocking the ball towards the try line meant that in the in goal area a knock on was legal. The rules were probably written with the help of a lawyer who didn't play the game. As a Saints fan I loved displaying the tables of the 50's and 60's with St.George at the top from 56 to 66 except for 1963. Co-incidently in 1967 the rules of the game were changed to the 4-tackle rule which resulted in a game full of scrums and scrum penalties that lead to the team with the best kickers winning more games.
Bonza
Roar Rookie
Focus has to be on how much Green got lucky with JT and younger forwards. He's let go of a lot of talent - and hasn't really developed players (I'm looking at you Coen Hess) or recruited too well, especially in the backs.
Bonza
Roar Rookie
Not a fan of it myself but you could argue Karma bites back after the Tigers were dudded by the flukey Panthers months ago.
boonboon
Roar Pro
Typical Cowbpys response to this game - blame the ref, the blame the bounce of the ball, blame a magic finger but never ever consider that the club is at fault. They have a victim mentality and always have they just got lucky that JT could win the games despite it. Thier recruitment and retention has been very poor the last few years and Friday night they missed more then twice as many tackles as the oppostion and thats what cost them the game
boonboon
Roar Pro
thing is the rule is quite clear that you opinion or mine doesen't matter. The rule says in the opinion of the referee in this case the bunker the try would have been scored if not for the illegal play then its a try. by definition given the ref gave bunker gave a penatly try he was correct because obviously he thought it would be
Stuart Thomas
Expert
Always makes me think of Max Mannix. When is a certain try not a certain try?
Rob
Guest
Javed is and always has been a “nearly” player. Nearly scores, nearly caught it, nearly made the tackle, nearly beat his opposite, nearly intercepted, nearly got there. Nearly NRL standard. He’s the Ying and Matty Bowen is Yang. Hopefully I get over it by next week after another Annesly apology? Not likely.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
He was over the line if not maybe a few centimetres in front of it. I don't see how you thought it was 2 metres.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
The referee awards a penalty try if they are certain a try would've been scored if not for the foul play. It looked correct to me as he was falling over the line with the ball and looked certain to score.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
Golden Point is rubbish. It is not fair to the Cowboys who should've got a point and not fair on all the other teams because Wests got two points they didn't deserve.
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
No worries mate. I know we both just want the best for the Cows and are just trying to work out how we get it. I totally agree the changes to the side ( both forced and unforced ) are killing us. Kahu is our FB for mine . He has a go and that’s all I can ask . We need to persist with Clifford and Morgs . I am not sure about this combo yet but let’s stick and see what happens. We need consistency in the halves and while I love Asiata he is not a top line six. The centres , well we don’t have a great deal of choice here Tuala and Opacic it has to be . For now at least . I know you and I agree with one thing for sure. I would rather Matt Scott on the left wing than Javd Bowen.
Rob
Guest
Sorry for getting cranky Jimmmy but the officials over the last 2 weeks have done their level best to also sink the boot into the Cowboys players IMO. Maybe Green should also understand that enthusiasm comes from youth. The lack of enthusiasm killed their season last year with the old blokes he stuck with. But he wants Bolton, Copper, Granville and then gives Cotter the boot for Baptise. Molo and Asiata have shown intent consistently but they get sat on the bench. Do you think a lack of cohesion might be justified? Green has tried Martin, Clifford, Morgan, Asiata at 6 and 7. Kahu at 1, then 3, then back to 1 with Martin and Morgan having a go at the back also. Opacic is in, Opacic out. O'neil is the same in, out, centre, winger, centre. Hampton on the wing then Tuala, GGM, MacDonald and O'nell. Maybe Green should try to keep things as structured as possible in the selection room considering the injury problems. Not bring Kahu back for Dunn and then make 4 positional changes (Asiata to the bench, Tuala to centre, Bowen to wing, Morgan to 6). Green has to have a hard look in the mirror when he talks about getting things right from the get go and being consistent IMO.
Paul
Roar Guru
I meant the decision from the TV ref,Rob.
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
Mate I bagged their effort in the first half. Me and the coach both thought it was sheet. Did you think the intent was there in the first half ? If that’s effort I’m not here. The effort in the second half was fine but it shouldn’t need a spray from Green to get it. The execution was not so good but as you say our injuries are horrendous . When the team has a fair dinkum go I can cop skill errors and poor decision making . Don’t confuse wanting to my team to win with them deserving it. We were shocking in that first half . That cost us the game and Ref blaming is just a cop out.
Noosa Duck
Roar Rookie
except that in the NRL Rules of 2011 that I have it makes no mention of the ball needing to hit the ground Tis a bit vague actually
Rob
Guest
Jimmmy I get my knowledge from my father who reffed Foley Shield grand finals and Brisbane Premiership games. It’s the way he was taught to make the penalty try call. They used the goal line as a indicator for where foul was committed in a grounding issue.Kahu was in the field of play. You say the Cowboys didn’t deserve to win but they lost in over time after a Try was incorrectly awarded to the Tigers and a debatable penalty try also. Then you bag the teams effort with 11 out injured. Glad you don’t have my back.