Taumalolo lifts Cowboys back to form, Penrith’s injury crisis worsens

A slashing opening 40 minutes from North Queensland set up a 26-20 triumph at Carrington Park, the visitors completing a smash-and-grab job at Bathurst, one that has rekindled the 2018 campaign of last year’s runners-up.

Arriving in the region on Thursday before departing Friday night, halves Michael Morgan and Johnathan Thurston orchestrated the Cowboys victory on the back of a branstorming effort from Jason Taumalolo.

The Tongan wrecking ball had 144 metres and six tackle breaks by half-time while backrower Coen Hess and veteran Gavin Cooper terrorised Penrith on the edges.

In front of a crowd of 10287 – the biggest attendance in Penrith’s deal to bring NRL matches to Bathurst – Taumalolo ended the game with 233 metres, securing the Cowboys a third win for the season and breathing life into a campaign on life support prior to Friday night’s clash.

A chilly autumn’s night that was as from from tropical North Queensland as it gets, Green was thrilled to see what he called the return of “a bit of Cowboys spirit”.

“We’ve had a tough start to the year, and yes they’re a good side and came back and threw plenty at us … but there was definitely a noticeable improvement, that bit of Cowboys spirit was back,” Green said.

“Blokes were fighting hard. It probably looked ugly, but blokes were turning up where in previous weeks we’d individually gone into our shell.

“It’s not because we don’t care and it’s not because of any issues, but when you lack confidence and something goes against you, you just need a spark to get that happening and that happened tonight. When we were really challenged the boys stuck together and that was pleasing to see.”

Penrith had its chance to get back into the contest, although after a terrible opening term the hosts had little right to.

Converted tries to Michael Morgan, Ben Hampton and Gavin Cooper, as well as a penalty goal from Thurston, nearly capped a flawless opening term for the Cowboys.

At 20-0 and down to 12 men following Dallin Watene-Zelezniak’s 31st minute brain-snap, it looked like the hosts would roll over.

But some enterprising play on the stroke of half-time secured Penrith some much needed points – Isaah Yeo’s under-the-arm off-load to on-debut winger Tyrone Phillips bringing the home crowd to its feet.

They had even more to cheer about after the break when, in his 100^th game in Penrith colours, skipper Peter Wallace scored twice in three minutes to cut North Queensland’s lead to just four.

Thurston scooped up a loose ball soon after, scoring to give his side some breathing space at 24-16 but that was short-lived when Phillips had his second and the margin was back to four points.

With Shaun Fensom in the sin bin for a professional foul and Penrith with the man-advantage, Thurston soaked up time with a shot at penalty goal to bump the score out to 26-20 inside the final 10 minutes.

Perhaps justly given the quality of the opening half, when the hosts had a final shot to potentially draw level the play often broke down, handing the Cowboys a deserved win after what was a two-day trip from Townsville to Bathurst for Green’s under-performing outfit.

Penrith coach Anthony Griffin lamented what was a slow-start from his side, one not helped by the loss of prop Trent Merrin in the warm-up.

Merrin was rushed to Orange hospital shortly after kick-off after suffering a compound fracture to one of his fingers moments before kick-off.

Dubbo’s Kaide Ellis took Merrin’s place in the Penrith 17, but didn’t earn any game time.

“We put ourselves in a position where it was always going to be hard,” Griffin said.

“That first half, we couldn’t have done any more to hand it over to them in the first 25, 30 minutes.

“They were slick at the start and we couldn’t control that. They pulled us a part a few times.”

Griffin said his side’s growing injury toll, which includes the likes of fullback Dylan Edwards, halfback Nathan Clearly, winger Josh Mansour, centre Waqa Blake, to name a few, was becoming tougher to handle.

“It’s certainly a lot of injuries but we had a team out there tonight that was capable of winning the game.”