Round 26
Cowboys 22 d. Eels 8

2006 NRL Telstra Premiership Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: Aus_NZ > National > First Grade Competition: NRL Telstra Premiership

Cowboys finish season on high, Eels face elimination Finals
Fri September 1, 2006
North Queensland have finished a miserable 2006 season with two successive victories in a year of what could have been whilst Parramatta are in an elimination semi-final against Melbourne or Canterbury next weekend. The Eels will be sweating on Cronulla defeating Canberra so they don't have to travel to Melbourne and face the easier task of meeting an out of form Bulldogs outfit.

The Cowboys started the season with a blaze on fire winning their first five matches impressively and from there it was a nightmare with the represenative season taking its toll and also damaging off-field rumours didn't help the morale of the team.

Parramatta won nine successive matches to put themselves in a prime position for the Finals but losses in the last two weeks against the Queensland based clubs will see them finish in 7th or 8th position depending how Canberra goes tomorrow night. The Raiders now have extra incentive as avoiding Melbourne is the key ingredient for the opening week of the Finals.

The Bulldogs record in Home Finals is worse than embarrassing losing the four Home Finals they've hosted in 1997, 2001, 2003 and 2004 plus their rate of injuries and form in the last two weeks doesn't leave much to be desired.

Freakish Parramatta winger Jarryd Hayne opened the scoring in the 15th minute when Tim Smith went down the short blindside on the last tackle and Hayne who played the ball put himself in a position to score in the corner. Mark Riddell was unsuccessful with the conversion attempt with Parramatta leading 4-0.

An error by Luke O'Dwyer rucking the ball back from a scrum 10m out from his own line saw Matthew Bowen pick up the scraps and score the easiest of tries in the 24th minute. Josh Hannay who is playing in his 150th and last match for North Queensland where he'll join Cronulla next year converted to push the Cowboys ahead 6-4.

Hayne scored his second try on 32 minutes when he pounced on a grubber kick and scored in the one motion beating Neil Sweeney to the ball. It was another freakish bit of play by Hayne who scored his 17th try for the season and will follow in the footsteps of team-mate Tim Smith and win the Dally M Peter Moore Rookie of the Year Award. Brett Delaney was unable to convert the try from a wide position but the Eels head a two point lead, which they took into the half-time break.

North Queensland regained the lead four minutes into the second half when Johnathan Thurston found space for Ashley Graham who raced 40m up field and passed to Sweeney who finished off the try. Hannay converted for the Cowboys to be up 12-8.

Bowen crossed for his second try of the night in the 52nd minute when he backed up an offload from Shane Tronc who found space up the middle and Hannay's conversion put the Cowboys 10 points clear.

Payne sealed victory for the Cowboys with a fine 30m individual try in the final 10 minutes as the Eels defence was tired and couldn't cope with the pressure mounted by North Queensland. Hannay was unable to convert but it didn't matter as North Queensland wrapped up a 22-8 victory.

It was a fitting farewell for Travis Norton who retired after 208 first grade games, which included 58 for the Cowboys. Norton enjoyed a fine career with South Queensland (1995-96 - 33 games), Canterbury (1997-03 - 117 games) and North Queensland (2004-06 - 58 games) where he also played five State of Origin games for Queensland between 2002-04. Norton has been a credit to the game both on and off the field and deserves to leave the game with a winning exit and is one of the great people in the game who can be proud of his career.

Matt Sing didn't add a try to his tally tonight and farewells the NRL with 159 tries, which is equal with Manly's Steve Menzies and only behind Ken Irvine (212), Andrew Ettingshausen (165) and Terry Lamb (164). Sing's career however isn't over as he'll join English Super League club Hull FC next year.

North Queensland's season is over but to finish with two successive victories gives them a positive to build into next year. Parramatta will be sweating on Cronulla to defeat Canberra so they avoid the travel to the Olympic Park graveyard.

The other games of big interest this weekend are Melbourne vs Manly, Roosters vs Dragons and Brisbane vs Warriors, with all three deciding top four finishes. Manly and Brisbane have their destiny in their own hands. Newcastle automatically move to 32 points as they have the bye and the Dragons can sneak into 4th position should the Warriors upset Brisbane and the Dragons and Storm have combined victory totals of 34 points.


Thurston to play tonight, Sing and Norton farewell the NRL
Fri September 1, 2006
North Queensland halfback and Australian International Johnathan Thurston will play for the Cowboys tonight in their final round clash against Parramatta in a last bid chance to remain a part of Australia's Tri Nation plans following the Finals.

Thurston has been out injured for several weeks due to a knee injury, which was to rule him out for the remainder of the season but is back one week earlier to prove that he'll be fit for the end of season Internationals.

With Andrew Johns retired from representative football, Thurston was the short priced favourite to takeover the halfback position but the good form of Matt Orford and Cooper Cronk have placed them in good positions to win International selection.

It's been an up and down year for Thurston where his form was good enough early in the season to win selection on the bench for Australia and performed well in Queensland's State of Origin series victory. Injury and off-field allegations have frustrated Thurston's season and the Cowboys have gone from being one of the prime contenders to being an also ran in such a short space of time.

Tonight's clash against Parramatta will also be the final NRL appearance for winger Matt Sing in what will be his 275th first grade match with 104 of them (including tonight's game) with the Cowboys. Sing also enjoyed stints with the Penrith Panthers and Sydney Roosters making his debut for Penrith against South Sydney in 1993. Sing has also played in 24 State of Origins and 15 Tests and his tally of 159 tries is equal 4th all-time alongside current Manly forward Steve Menzies and only behind Ken Irvine (212), Andrew Ettingshausen (165) and Terry Lamb (164).

Another player making his final appearance at NRL level is Cowboys captain Travis Norton who has been named on the bench. Norton has enjoyed a successful career with South Queensland, Canterbury and North Queensland where he has appeared in two Grand Finals in 1998 and as captain last year and played five games for Queensland. Tonight's game will be Norton's 208th appearance at NRL level, which includes 58 for the Cowboys. The majority of Norton's career was spent at Canterbury with seven seasons at Belmore with his first two years at the Crushers and his final three seasons in North Queensland. Norton probably played his best Football with the Bulldogs but at the Cowboys he developed into an outstanding captain and has been a true credit to the game on and off the field.

A victory for Parramatta could see them finish as high as 5th position providing the Roosters defeat the Dragons (very strong possibility) and the Warriors defeat the Broncos with the Warriors and Eels victories being by a combined total of 45 points. A loss could see Parramatta finish in 8th should Canberra topple the Sharks.

With the Bulldogs ravaged by injury and poor form at the wrong end of the season plus they have an embarrassing home Finals record, a finish in 7th position wouldn't be that bad for the Eels. Parramatta have been boosted with halfback Tim Smith and prop Michael Vella returning at just the right time of the season.

North Queensland comfortably defeated South Sydney last weekend and will be looking to finish a miserable season on a high with Thurston, Sing and Norton in particular having plenty to play for.

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