North Queensland were $5 outsiders with the bookmakers, down to 12 men and trailing 16-4 before a trio of panicked errors from Roosters star Dominic Young helped the Cowboys secure a shock 18-16 upset at Allianz Stadium.
A second-half fightback spearheaded by fullback Scott Drinkwater while Heilum Luki was sin-binned delivered one of the biggest boilovers of 2024, with a late penalty goal putting the Cowboys ahead in the 75th minute.
A brain snap by Young preceded North Queensland’s first lead of the contest, with the marquee recruit throwing an unnecessary pass that coughed up possession when he thought he was being shoved into touch.
Teammate Junior Pauga was then offside racing up for an intercept on his own tryline, with Drinkwater slotting the clutch penalty.
The Roosters’ last two attacking raids also lived and died with Young, who again looked to pass when surging for the tryline before losing possession a few minutes later when he raced down the right-hand touchline.
In reality the Cowboys never should have got as close as they did. Sam Walker had engineered two first-half tries in an impressive playmaking performance and the home side was making all the running.
When Luki dumped Sitili Tupouniua on his head and was sent to the bin, the Tricolours were eyeing their fifth win from their last six starts and a leap to fourth on the NRL ladder.
Instead of wilting, the Cowboys went to work, eventually springing an almighty upset to join the logjam of teams between fourth and 12th separated by just one win.
Despite being down a man midway through the second half, Drinkwater got the Cowboys rolling when he took on the Roosters line, sliding through Walker and veteran centre Michael Jennings.
A penalty goal drew the visitors to within striking distance before Drinkwater again came calling. This time Dolphins-bound back-rower Kulikefu Finefeuiaki surged to the outside of Walker and through for a 70th-minute try.
Drinkwater’s narrowly missed conversion made for a 16-all deadlock and a grandstand finish as the Cowboys stormed home.
Cowboys coach Todd Payten didn’t shy away from the “challenge” – to put it mildly – of taking on the Tricolours without six stars in Queensland and NSW camps before kick-off, joining a chorus calling for the NRL to be paused for a three-week Origin period.
The Roosters themselves had five players away on interstate duty, with James Tedesco joining them at 8am on game day to replace Dylan Edwards as Blues fullback.
Drinkwater’s narrowly missed conversion made for a 16-all deadlock and a grandstand finish as the Cowboys stormed home.
Cowboys coach Todd Payten didn’t shy away from the “challenge” – to put it mildly – of taking on the Tricolours without six stars in Queensland and NSW camps before kick-off, joining a chorus calling for the NRL to be paused for a three-week Origin period.
The Roosters themselves had five players away on interstate duty, with James Tedesco joining them at 8am on game day to replace Dylan Edwards as Blues fullback.
While Walker dominated, Drinkwater kept the visitors in it along with a rejuvenated Jason Taumalolo (170 running metres) and tireless efforts in the middle from Jordan McLean and Jake Granville.
Referee Gerard Sutton was kept busy as well, marching Luki and placing Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Luke Keary (high tackles) and Walker (cannonball tackle) on report.
A pair of suspensions for both Luki and Waerea-Hargreaves would not surprise, though the Roosters halves shouldn’t have too much to worry about. Aside from coughing up a 12-point lead against a 12-man opposition, of course.
