North Queensland Cowboys are now playing for pride as finals football is now out of reach as the look upwards from fourteenth place on the ladder at a seventh placed Newcastle Knights who knew a win would lift them above the Bunnies and get them one game closer to the play-offs.
Newcastle coach Adam O’Brien made just one change to the side which narrowly beat the Sea Eagles last weekend, with Pasami Saulo replacing Daniel Saifiti, while Josh Hannay had Jensen, O’Neill and Cotter in his Cowboys side in place of Lemuelu, Pere and Robson as the Cowboys tried to halt a seven games losing streak.
A Mitchell Pearce 40-20 on six minutes put the Knights in great field position, but the Cowboys defence held firm.
The first try came on fifteen with Hymel Hunt on hand, and on the overlap, to take a Kalyn Ponga pass for a walk-in try. Ponga was well wide with his conversion attempt.
Despite being on the back foot and defending inside their own half the Cowboys defended their line until the half hour mark when Ponga took the opportunity to kick a twenty-metre penalty to extend the lead to 6-0.
On half time Mitchell Pearce was sin-binned for a professional foul, tackling from an offside position after a quick play the ball from the Cowboys. Kyle Feldt took the opportunity to take a kick at goal bit made a real hash of his effort.
Despite being six behind at the interval, North Queensland were delighted with their first forty minutes, they were still in touch with the side who were expected to have been piling on the points.
On forty-five Ponga went ninety metres but was hauled down with Mitchell Dunn holding down too long in the tackle and receiving a ten-minute rest. Ponga took the opportunity to kick for goal but his effort from close didn’t even make the goal line.
Ese’ese had a try ruled out on fifty-four for an obstruction as the frustration increased amongst the Newcastle players. Lachlan Fitzgibbon lost the ball in the act of scoring on fifty-seven and when the Cowboys were offside on sixty-three Ponga managed to find the target to extend the lead to 8-0.
With two minutes left on the clock the Knights finally got their second score when Ponga put Enari Tuala over in the left corner for a four pointer. Ponga made an awful mess of his conversion attempt, the Knights ending the game with a 12-0 win.
An awful game, devoid of skill and imagination, between two sides who look as though they should be propping up the table. Newcastle had the points to win the game, but they weren’t come by confidently or skilfully. It looks like Newcastle will make the play-offs, barring a miracle from the sides below them, but on this showing they won’t progress very far.
Newcastle Knights: Ponga (2G), To’a, Tuala (T), Shibasaki, Hunt (T), Green, Pearce (SB on 39), Klemmer, Mann, Saifiti, Fitzgibbon, Guerra, Barnett. Subs: Crossland, King, Ese’ese, Saulo.
North Queensland Cowboys: Drinkwater, Feldt, Opacic, O’Neill, Tabuai-Fidow, Hampton, Morgan, McGuire, Cotter, McLean, Dunn (SB on 45), Hess, Taumalolo. Subs: Asiata, Molo, Jensen, Granville.
Referee: Adam Gee.
Half-Time: 6-0.
Full-Time: 12-0.
Ground: McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle.
