North Queensland have farewelled their spiritual home in Townsville with a rugged 15-8 NRL victory, which ended the Bulldogs’ finals hopes.
With an under-pressure coach, retiring legend Matt Scott in hospital and the form team of the competition in town, the Cowboys left it late but ultimately gave their faithful a result to remember on Thursday.
“Really proud of the boys tonight, the last two weeks we’ve shown what we can do,” coach Paul Green said.
“It’s been a disappointing year but to finish well it gives the fans a good last memory of this stadium.”
While the game was always bound for the history books by virtue of the circumstances, the quality of play early on certainly wasn’t memorable.
Neither side could crack the other in the opening 40 minutes, choosing instead to trade penalty goals.
Bulldogs fullback Dallin Watene-Zelezniak should have scored in the 15th minute if not for a brilliant effort from North Queensland winger Kyle Feldt, who flew in to rattle the Kiwis international into a knock on over the line. The decision however made Canterbury coach Dean Pay see red.
“When did he lose it? It went up (to the video ref) as a try, they make it hard for themselves,” Pay said.
Feldt then broke the deadlock in the 49th minute, latching onto the end of a sweeping backline play to score the match’s first four-pointer.
The Bulldogs responded through winger Jayden Okunbor found five minutes later via a scrum set play to force an 8-8 stalemate.
Former Kiwis international Jordan Kahu broke the deadlock with a coolly taken field goal four minutes from full time, capitalising on prime field position after rookie Cowboys winger Murray Taulagi forced a goal line drop out with a testing grubber.
Back-rower Shane Wright then pounced on a loose ball to seal the points and ease some pressure on coach Paul Green, while retirement-bound prop Scott watched on in Brisbane as he recovers from a minor stroke.
The Cowboys’ ninth win of the season enabled them to improve to 12th and swap places with the Bulldogs, who needed to win to keep their scant finals hopes alive.
North Queensland close out their season next Friday in Melbourne while Canterbury have another Queensland assignment with the Broncos in Brisbane on Saturday.
up in the north
Roar Rookie
Time for a freshen up for the Cowbies and particularly Greeny. That effort last night was - well dour is a good descriptive word, the boys just don't seem to be encouraged to play a bit of ad-lib off the cuff spontaneous footy. And the way Jason T is being used is wasteful of his ability. The guy captains his country and is best on ground but Greeny reckons that he should be a pseudo wrecking ball, forget his silky hands, the ballerina like step and his heart and stamina. Just wasteful use of your highest paid employees. Great result but time for a long hard look at themselves. Season 2019 was nothing but a failure and it should not have been, the catchment is too vast to not have good backup for injury, so that little chestnut can stay in the fire.
Stormy
Roar Rookie
I'm no expert, but, I enjoyed the game. Fast, flowing, tough & close - I guess it depends what you call a good game.
Nat
Roar Guru
Let's not pretend it was a good game but it was a good outcome for the community and a fair Thursday night crowd to see off the old stadium. Currently enjoying lunch on the Strand and enjoying a balmy 26* up here in gods country. Magic.
TAZZ
Roar Rookie
really happy that the boys got thier final win own home turf, not a bad game in the end. No riot needed to tear the stadium apart (another positive for the night). Hit 103fm had a mascot race before the game, funniest thing ever watching one of the ladies i do comedy shows with try to run in flippers and a shark suit, hilarious.