North Queensland breathed life into their season with a stunning 45-20 upset over Melbourne with Valentine Holmes starring for the Cowboys after doing likewise for Queensland but Storm coach was fuming with his team, labelling their performance as putrid.
The classy centre showed no ill effects of the midweek Origin stoush as he proved a constant threat to the Storm defence in a five-star display.
Holmes broke the line three times in running for more than 200 metres and produced two try assists, he scored one of his own and booted six goals for good measure as the Cowboys registered just their sixth win of the season from 14 matches to rise from second-last to only two victories outside the top eight.
North Queensland were tipped to be premiership contenders this season after roaring up the ladder last year to make the preliminary final but over the first half of 2023 they have been the NRL’s biggest under-achievers.
This was a team that just two weeks ago copped a 66-16 hammering at the hands of the Wests Tigers.
And they knocked off the Storm without co-captain Jason Taumalolo with the Tongan international delaying his return from knee surgery for the second week in a row.
The Cowboys had a number of standout players, with Reuben Cotter immense in midfield after starring for Queensland mid-week, while hooker Reece Robson rattled Melbourne’s middles with some bell-ringers whilst also finding metres out of dummy-half.
“I just asked the team to throw away the finesse and just go back to brutality and playing direct,” coach Todd Payten said of his half-time message. “It was pleasing, really pleasing.”
The win could prove costly for the Storm who have lost a share of top spot to slide back to fifth and Origin can hardly be used as an excuse with only two players on rep duty – Cameron Munster and Harry Grant – with both Queenslanders backing up for their club.
“Our second half start was the same as our first – it was putrid to be quite honest,” furious Storm coach Bellamy said. “We just don’t learn from our mistakes and it went to another level today. I’m not quite sure when the penny is going to drop.”
It was a dream club debut for mid-season recruit Semi Valemei, who raced in three tries in his first NRL appearance in Cowboys colours.
Semi Valemei scores. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
After the former Raiders winger finished off a backline raid in the eighth minute, he made it a double a short time later when he cleaned up the crumbs from a bomb out wide.
Valemei won’t want to see the replays of Melbourne’s first try with opposing winger Xavier Coates barely pausing as he sped through his attempted tackle midway through the first half before Valentine Holmes scooted over for a 14-6 lead.
Storm centre Justin Olam barged over close to the break and a penalty goal locked the scores up at 14-14 but Valemei registered his treble three minutes after the restart when Chad Townsend’s rainbow pass eventually made its way to the right flank.
Olam departed the game after failing an HIA in the first half.
When Murray Taulagi got in on the try-scoring act, the Cowboys looked like they could run away with the result at 26-14 but Storm fullback Nick Meaney’s decision to chip and chase early in an attacking set was rewarded when he notched his eighth try of the year to halve the deficit.
Holmes was again in the action to make a long-range break to send Taulagi over for a 32-20 buffer midway through the second stanza.
When returning forward Jeremiah Nanai stormed over off a Scott Drinkwater pass, the storm was over for Melbourne, down 18 with 15 to go.
Townsend touched down in the closing stages and then added a field goal to kick-start early celebrations at QCB Stadium.
with AAP
Redcap
Roar Guru
'everyone waits for the big screen … here it comes ….. 42.' That would at least be comfortingly wrong. :happy:
matth
Roar Guru
I’m waiting for a try to be sent up to the bunker … everyone waits for the big screen … here it comes ….. 42. Or alternatively… here it comes …. “We haven’t got a clue, what do you all think?”. At least that would be honest
Muzz Manyana
Roar Rookie
Masterclass from Val Holmes. When is Paps back? The Storm desperately need him.
Jeannine Wallace
Roar Rookie
I hope so :happy:
Maxtruck
Roar Rookie
Bellamy & Ponissi badly under estimated the impact of loosing Bromwich, Bromwich & Kaufusi
Nat
Roar Guru
Have you considered Chaos Theory and how it interacts with NRL 360 and the Daily Tele? It may not be logic they are striving for but an engineered reoccurrence in an otherwise variable set of events.
NQR
Roar Rookie
Val on 875k, Taumalolo $950k, Townsend $750k, Nanai $900k. Val is probably the only one close to earning his worth. Taumalolo and Nanai should each be donating half their salary to Cotter.
NQR
Roar Rookie
Has any club used more than 30 players so far this season? Cowboys were touted as a premiership threat but I think some early complacency along with injuries and suspensions they had had them struggling to live up to expectations. I was at the game live and they looked a completely different team last night. Not trying to get wrapped with one good victory but the Storm looked in survival mode and the Cowboys looked ominous. If they have close to that lining up with a bit of intent in their game I’m thinking they’re going to win plenty more. They make the 8 and they give plenty.
NQR
Roar Rookie
Replace Hiku with Luki and we has an edge no one is going through our around. Townsend, Hiku and a reluctant cover defending fullback like Drinkwater would make any winger job a defence nightmare. I do feel for Feldt being asked to stop 2 on 1’s every shift his side.
Relaxed and Comfortable
Roar Rookie
David, If there was a clapping emoji I would be furiously using it :stoked:
Redcap
Roar Guru
Well, the bunker has never operated on any sort of logical plane, nor does it rely on logic to exist - it is the very essence of chaos. If it started operating logically, it could conceivably cause some serious disturbances in the space-time continuum, but it's not clear if this is even possible, or how one could even determine what constitutes logic in this context given the system itself is inherently illogical.
Nat
Roar Guru
That was pretty to watch and it wasn’t like Melbourne were terrible but simply outplayed. The game changer was losing Olam, not so much for their defence but not allowing them to go try for try with NQ. Robson was massive and Cotter never fails to impress. I said on the blog last night I think they should put Leilua as a ball playing middle off the bench when JT13 returns. It does mix the bench up a bit, especially because Jakey always gets a gernsey but I suppose it’s good to have depth.
Nat
Roar Guru
His run in origin to set up Cobbo was slick as well. To react and move at pace is a thing of beauty.
Nat
Roar Guru
I believe the bunker has already created and holds the key to said black hole.
Relaxed and Comfortable
Roar Rookie
You got a good one there :happy:
Tony
Roar Guru
:sick:
Redcap
Roar Guru
Well, I'm already a bit miffed with Melbourne given all the dubious practices (rorts, wrestling, Billy Slater, etc) they've initiated over the years. If they were to cause the never-ending destruction of the universe (assuming the universe is infinite) and everything in it, I'd be pretty seriously peeved, though I suppose it wouldn't matter much given neither Melbourne or I would exist any longer. Bloody Melbourne!
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
One more thing . VAL Holmes is slowly working his way up the list of my favourite running centres to watch. ( Top of the list are Rowdy and the Pearl). God he's a mover. The try he set up for Murray , Wow. Moves in on the pass , swerves away then in and the pass to Tualagi was so perfect it , I will see it forever. Thanks Val.
Tony
Roar Guru
One more game like that and he'll be a perfect fit for the Wallabies
Tony
Roar Guru
We all certainly hope so :happy: