QUALIFYING FINAL TWO
V
#3 NORTH QUEENSLAND v #5 BULLDOGS @ DAIRY FARMERS STADIUM.
Saturday 6:30pm AEST, 8th September 2007
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
1-13: M Bowen, T Williams, A Graham, B Farrar, M Henry, Justin Smith, J Thurston (c), M Scott, A Payne, C Webb, S Faust, M Bartlett, P Bowman.
Bench: D Faiumu, Jason Smith, J Lillyman, R Cashmere.
Coach: Graham Murray.
BULLDOGS
1-13: L Patten, H El Masri, D Millard, W Tonga, M Utai, B Roberts, B Sherwin, M O’Meley, C Hughes, C Armit, W Mason, A Ryan (c), R Maitua.
Bench: A Perry, N Kouparitsas, L Te Maari, J Hickey.
Coach: Steven Folkes.
FIRST HALF
1st Minute NQL – kick off by Cowboys. Dogs bring it back into the Cowboys half and Brent Sherwin finds touch 2m out from the line. Channel Nine have another stuff up following on from last night’s Warriors-Eels game as NBN television freezes just after the kick off and misses the first 30 seconds.
3rd Minute NQL – Cowboys first set doesn’t match the Bulldogs. Matt Bowen’s kick is fielded on the 30m line by Luke Patten. Sherwin’s bomb is the first attacking kick of the night but Hazem El Masri knocks on about 10m out right on the right touchline.
5th Minute BUL – the Dogs go-forward is dominating they kick on the 40m line inside Cowboys territory again and find touch near the line. Chris Armit looks to have picked up a knock to the knee during the set.
7th Minute BUL – Reni Maitua makes a half break and Sherwin kicks high off the back of it that Bowen defuses on his line. Sherwin taken out big time but play on.
9th Minute NQL PENALTY – Paul Simpkins shows why he’s Mr. Joe Average in the refereeing stakes… gives the Cowboys a penalty for a surrender tackle by Bowen – who ended up in-goal after being pushed back.
11th Minute COWBOYS TRY – From a nothing run by Carl Webb mid-field he gets an offload away to Justin Smith and some dazzling inside ball passing by the Cowboys trio of Bowen, Aaron Payne and Johnathan Thurston see Thurston run over just to the right hand side of the posts. Cowboys make something happen rather than being handed an opportunity. Thurston converts.
COWBOYS TRY – J THURSTON (1); C Webb 2A Offload to – Justin Smith 2A Short Pass to – M Bowen 1A Line Break & Pass to – A Payne 2A Run and Pass to – Johnathan Thurston to score next to the right upright.
J Thurston CONVERSION successful.
6-0 COWBOYS after 12 minutes.
13th Minute NQL PENALTY – Bulldogs kick out on the full from the kick off. Ordinary. Despite a good touch finder the Cowboys knock on through Bowen after Thurston spreads the field nicely.
16th Minute NQL – Ashley Graham looks set to score after some great lead up work by Webb and Bowen but Matt Utai makes a try-saving tackle on Graham who loses the ball on the line.
18th Minute COWBOYS TRY - Dogs part like the red sea watching Thurston at first receiver as he raced down the blind side and Paul Bowman sees the opening and goes over from 8m out. Very soft. El Masri main offender who was caught at marker and spread to fast to the sideline.
COWBOYS TRY – P BOWMAN (1) – Dummy half run from 9m out.
J Thurston CONVERSION successful from about 15m to the left of the posts.
12-0 COWBOYS after 20 Minutes.
22nd Minute BUL – Patten kick return impressive. Dogs get a chance to finish a set inside the Cowboys half. Wilie Tonga runs off a great offload and is cut down by Bowen somehow just before the line in a great try-saver. Willie Mason runs over two defenders before Tonga is stopped again just short.
23rd Minute – BULLDOGS TRY - Sherwin cross kicks wide right after the Tonga play the ball for Daryl Millard who rises over Mark Henry to score – superb. Dogs back in it.
BULLDOGS TRY – D MILLARD (1); B Sherwin 1A Cross kick to right to setup - D Millard to score.
El Masri CONVERSION successful from the right side.
12-6 COWBOYS after 24 Minutes.
25th Minute BUL – Nick Kouparitsas puts Ryan into a massive gap but inexplicably Ryan doesn’t pass early enough to draw Bowen and then gives Utai a poor pass which he knocks on. Kouparitsas putting on an offload clinic if he’s the guy who put Tonga through minutes earlier.
28th Minute BULLDOGS TRY - Tonga finishes off a nice passage of play by the Dogs. Sherwin puts him outside Graham and he scores in the left corner about 5m in from touch. Dogs level up in the blink of an eye if El Masri converts.
BULLDOGS TRY – W TONGA (1); C Hughes 2A D/Half Cut Out Pass to – B Sherwin 1A Cut Out Pass to – W Tonga to score in left corner.
H El Masri CONVERSION successful from left touchline.
12-12 ALL after 30 Minutes.
32nd Minute BUL PENALTY GOAL – El Masri gets an easy shot at goal after Simpkins makes another stuff-up and awards the Dogs a penalty for Mark O’Meley trying to offload and doing so poorly. Dogs up by 2 with 7 to go before halftime.
BULLDOGS PENALTY GOAL – H El Masri successful from in front.
14-12 BULLDOGS after 33 Minutes.
34th Minute BUL – Ben Roberts makes a huge break inside his own half but Tonga knocks on a pass from Roberts – although Tonga wasn’t home it is a huge error. 20-12 would have been a massive halftime lead.
35th Minute NQL – Thurston sends a huge pass left to Henry on the wing but despite being open and El Masri committing to the centre – Henry knocks on with just the fullback to beat with 30m to run.
37th Minute NQL PENALTY GOAL– Thurston attempts a penalty goal to level it up after Simpkins goes the ‘even up’ route in the penalty department. Pathetic refereeing considering the set had one clear tackle that should’ve been a penalty – only difference was it was on the sideline not 35m out and pretty much in front. Square up for your life. Thurston successful.
COWBOYS PENALTY GOAL – J Thurston successful from in front.
14-14 ALL after 39 Minutes.
HALFTIME WRAP
Dogs had the better of the opening exchanges but the Cowboys made something happen with the Thurston try from halfway. The Cowboys then jumped out to a 12 points lead before the Dogs got a sniff and put on two quick tries to level it. The Dogs also butchered two tries with line breaks not being finished by the support player through knock ons.
Penalty goals capped the scoring and at halftime the Cowboys have been slightly better but the Dogs have looked the more polished in sticking to their game plan. Impressive players so far – Thurston, Mason, Roberts, Bowen, Webb, Tonga and Sherwin.
SECOND HALF
Jason Smith gets on the field for the start of the second half after not being seen for the first 40.
42nd Minute BUL – Simpkins makes another questionable call… giving the Dogs a scrum feed after it appeared Adam Perry just knocked on. Sherwin grubbers in goal and forces Thurston to put the ball dead. Dogs get first real opportunity of second half.
46th Minute BUL – Roberts cleans up a poor Bowen pass, breaks the line and is brought down inside the Cowboys half. Dogs looking the better of the two teams here until they make an error at the back end of that set.
48th Minute NQL – Ray Cashmere makes half a break but offloads forward to Webb. Good call by Simpkins – finally.
50th Minute COWBOYS TRY - Great play by Jason Smith who ran hard into an opening he saw and while tackled he then twisted his arm free to flick to Thurston who was backing up and scored under the sticks. Thurston is having a great game.
COWBOYS TRY – J THURSTON (2); Jason Smith 1A offload to – J Thurston to score under the posts.
J Thurston CONVERSION successful from right in front.
20-14 COWBOYS after 52 Minutes.
55th Minute BULLDOGS TRY – Patten scores in the left corner after starting the play from dummy half inside the Dogs 40m zone. He puts Ryan into a gap to draw Bowen and Patten’s swerve to beat the cover defenders was special. Dogs can level here if El Masri converts from right on the left touchline.
BULLDOGS TRY – L PATTEN (1); A Ryan 1A Line Break & Pass to Patten to score in the left corner.
H El Masri M/CONV to the right from left touchline. Big miss.
20-18 COWBOYS after 57 Minutes.
60th Minute BUL – Sherwin makes a big play with a long kick that puts Bowen back into his in-goal. Bowen looks to have caught a knock off Corey Hughes’s knee. Cowboys get a penalty to get out of their zone… Simpkins not on fire at all.
CROWD 24,004.
62nd Minute NQL – Simpkins makes another blunder. Graham knocks on in-goal but Simpkins gives it as a Dogs line drop out for Ryan’s clearing kick. Pressure time for the Dogs.
63rd Minute BUL PENALTY – Thurston gets hit by Maitua while standing in a tackle – legally and Thurston throws an elbow in retaliation – Dogs get penalty rightly. Big error by Thurston to allow Dogs to get out of trouble.
67th Minute BUL – Maitua makes a great play to stop a Bowen kick near the line after sustained Cowboys pressure. But Maitua is stripped by Bowen but then Bowen knocks on. Dogs get a breather.
71st Minute NQL – Thurston has gone quiet for the moment but Bowen and Jason Smith are looking dangerous. The Dogs need field position but haven’t got any for some time. It is all the Cowboys in that department but they haven’t been able to put the Dogs away.
73rd Minute NQL PENALTY – Simpkins makes another massively wrong call… awarding the Cowboys a penalty for Ben Farrar losing it outright. Pathetic doesn’t even sum up this refereeing performance succinctly.
74th Minute BUL – O’Meley makes a big run and the Dogs finally end a set in good field position. Sherwin bombs inside the 30m zone and Bowen is caught in goal by Patten – this is the Dogs chance. You get the feeling they won’t get another one with just 5 mins to go.
76th Minute BUL – Mason held up. Dogs one tackle left but Millard has no idea and is tackled without a kick. But they have field position.
78th Minute BUL POSSIBLE TRY – Sherwin kicks for El Masri on the right flank from 40m out but El Masri with just an inch to go knocks on after a miraculous catch but wow he’s come THAT close to winning the game. No try.
80th Minute BUL – Jarrad Hickey knocks on but he is deadest stripped by Jason Smith. Good to see Simpkins staying consistent… he’s got one call right all night. Abysmal. Cowboys play out the final set and win 20-18.
The dogs sported the Cowboys a big early lead for the second straight week and lost the game as a result. The Cowboys found ways to let the Bulldogs back into the game and if that trend continues they won’t feature in the big one.
FULL TIME
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS 20
TRIES
J Thurston (11th, 50th), P Bowman (18th).
GOALS
J Thurston 4 from 4.
Defeated
BULLDOGS 18
TRIES
D Milard (22nd), W Tonga (28th), L Patten (55th).
GOALS
H El Masri 3 from 4.
League Player Ratings: Player of the Finals 3-2-1
3 – Johnathan Thurston, Cowboys, 8/10 LPR
2 – Matt Bowen, Cowboys, 8/10 LPR
1 – Jason Smith, Cowboys, 7/10 LPR
Referee: Paul Simpkins 3/10.
_________________________
Warrick Nicolson
E: wdnicolson@optusnet.com.au
P: 0402851485
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