NRL Round-22: Cowboys vs. Broncos
The Cowboys welcomed the Broncos to Dairy Farmers Stadium in North Queensland for the first match of Round-22 on Friday.
The Broncos were looking to keep up their strong play from over the past few weeks, as they attempt to hold onto their playoff spot. The Cowboys, meanwhile, were in position as the spoilers, sitting in 14th in the standings and having to run the table in order to qualify for the postseason.
Recap
The Broncos played a stellar first half as the away team and took a commanding lead into the second-half, giving the visitors the ability to play out the clock in what finished as a 34-26 Broncos win.
Matt Gillett opened the scoring for the Broncos with a try in the third minute of the match, while Corey Parker hit his first conversion in what would be a quality day at the tee.
The Broncos had it together early as Israel Folau scored another try for the visitors, and Parker hit his second conversion of the day to make the score 14-0.
The Cowboys were able to battle back slightly as Ty Williams managed the home-sides first points of the game with a try in the 27th minute. Ashley Graham hit the conversion and followed it with a penalty in the 32nd minute, closing the gap to 14-8.
The Broncos would not be outdone as Folau notched his second try on the day and Darren Lockyer crossed the line just before half. After a Parker conversion, the Broncos stretched their lead to a devastating 24-8 heading into the break.
After the half, Scott Bolton quickly scored a try for the Cowboys, however, the home team could not keep up the pressure and Jharal Yow Yeh tallied another try for the Broncos, giving them a 30-14 lead.
Leeson Ah Mau and Dane Hogan brought two across the whitewash late in the game, but it was not enough as the Broncos took home the victory in the battle of Queensland with a 34-26 victory.
Tempers flared in what is always a fierce rivalry. Anthony Watts and James Tamou were sin-binned for the Cowboys, while Sam Thaiday was also sent to the bin for the Broncos.
A stellar performance from Parker saw the star notch 10 of his teams 34 points, which in the end made the difference between winning and losing.
Analysis
The match was a very important one for the Broncos as they were able to snatch a seventh spot with the victory. With only four rounds left in the regular season, it was important for the Brisbane side to hang onto their playoff spot. Next week, the Broncos take on the Eels and should hope for a victory against the league’s 12th placed side.
The Cowboys, meanwhile, will have to accept that they are out of the playoff picture and enjoy the rest of the season as the spoiler. The North Queensland group would have loved to hand a victory to one of their historical rivals, but will be looking forward to their engagement next week against the Gold Coast Titans.
Tags: