Cowboys stun Panthers to celebrate Taumalolo’s 300th
Jack Brady And Joel Gould
Updated ,first published
North Queensland commemorated club legend Jason Taumalolo’s 300th NRL game with a 26-12 upset win over ranking leaders Penrith, while the Dolphins also lost star half Isaiya Katoa as they claimed their eighth consecutive win against the Warriors.
Jeremiah Nanai’s back row try, the second of which came from a flying kick receiving effort against star Panthers Brian To’o and Dylan Edwards, proved the difference for the Cowboys, who ended a three-game losing streak.
But it would be Taumalolo who finished Saturday’s home game with a toast to Townsville, who were swarmed by his team-mates after a 14-point victory, their first milestone victory.
With the Queen and Prime Minister of Tonga watching in the stands amid a huge crowd, the blockbuster duo turned back the clock with a mammoth 155-metre dash, including a bruising run that resulted in a head injury assessment for Penrith counterpart Isaiah Papali’i.
The Cowboys, who recorded the most wins against Penrith since the Panthers’ historic run began in 2021, set the tone early by forcing a Moses Leota error on the first play of the game.
A minute later winger Murray Taulagi scored the first four-pointer of the game in an ominous glimpse of Penrith’s immediate future.
A week on from a shock 19-18 defeat to the Gold Coast, Penrith looked set for another defeat north of the border early in the first half after recording an uncharacteristic seven errors.
They turned the tables two minutes before the break, taking advantage of Taulagi’s mistake with Panther Tom Jenkins’ second try after Jack Cogger’s magic cross-kick.
Tied at 10 points apiece at halftime, Penrith took the lead early in the second half with Nathan Cleary’s penalty goal. But as mistakes and poor discipline resurfaced, only the Panthers’ superb goal-line defense could keep them in the contest.
Two costly penalties gave the Cowboys the lead back, before late tries from Nanai and halfback Jake Clifford confirmed North Queensland’s famous victory.
Earlier, Dolphins sniper Jamayne Isaako converted a 78th-minute sideline conversion to beat the Warriors 26-24 after star halfback Katoa suffered an ankle injury.
Scoring genius Isaako scored 14 points from two tries to become the first player in 118 years to score 12 or more points in nine consecutive games.
The previous five matches between the two sides had resulted in four points or less and on Saturday they produced another classic in front of 40,465 fans at Suncorp Stadium.
Warriors assistant Samuel Healey crashed in the 75th minute to give the visitors a 24-20 lead after a mistake from winger Selwyn Cobbo.
But Cobbo responded to the storm in true style three minutes later, equalizing with his second try of the match. Isaako converted from distance to secure an eighth straight win for the Kristian Woolf-coached Dolphins.
Dolphins’ key man Katoa left the field in the 13th minute after medical staff replaced his dislocated ankle. He was sitting on the bench with his left arm in a sling.
Bench utility Brad Schneider entered the game but out-of-contract five-eighth Kodi Nikorima took over.
Warriors winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak died in the second half due to a hamstring injury due to tremendous courage from both sides.
The Warriors, who are without outgunned forwards James Fisher-Harris, Jackson Ford and Leka Halasima, showed off their depth with second-rower Jacob Laban’s blindside delivery.
Nikorima brought on Herbie Farnworth to claim his highest assist in the NRL this season, his 23rd outstanding assist.
Later, at halftime, the Warriors took the ball away from Adam Pompey and Isaako scored to take the lead 16-12.
Isaako’s brilliance was highlighted when his magic hands lifted the Jack Bostock spinner at full tilt to score a classic try.
The Warriors responded by giving the visitors the lead through winger Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad and Healey.
It was built for the Dolphins’ heroics, and Cobbo and Isaako provided them.
AAP
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