Match Details
Match Date	25th May, 2007
Opponent	North Queensland
Result	Loss 16-26
Coach	Steven Folkes
Captain	Andrew Ryan
Venue	Brisbane (Suncorp Stadium)
Crowd	15,412
Referee	Tony Archer

The North Queensland Cowboys have taken out the inaugural Reconciliation Cup with a mistake riddled, but exciting 26-16 win over the out-of-form Bulldogs at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.

In front of just 15,412 fans at the scene of last Wednesday night's stunning Queensland Origin triumph, the Cowboys laid the platform for victory in an erratic first half which saw them go to the break leading 12-0, despite completing just 10 of 24 sets.

But the brilliance of Maroons' Origin half Johnathan Thurston immediately after the break in the form of two try-assists effectively killed the Bulldogs chances as Graham Murray's charged to a 24-0 lead on their way to the 10-point win.

The Bulldogs went into the game minus star forward Willie Mason, who suffered a hamstring injury in the Origin opener, but were adequately compensated by the early return from injury by former Test prop Mark O'Meley.

Andrew Ryan was the only Bulldogs player to back up from Origin, while the Cowboys had Thurston and second-rower Jacob Lillyman fronting just 48 hours after starring in Queensland's win.

Things weren't completely rosy for the Cowboys with experienced centre Paul Bowman taken from the field in a medi-cab late in the first half with a possible shoulder/neck injury

Wayward passing, intercepts, clean breaks and dropped balls featured heavily in the opening minutes of this game, before the Cowboys broke through in the 13th minute, hooker Aaron Payne slicing through a gap to send Matt Bowen on a 50-metre run to the line.

Then six minutes later a Bulldogs handling error resulted in a Cowboys' raid up field eventuating in Payne feeding hulking prop Shane Tronc for a try and a 12-0 lead following Thurston's conversion.

Both sides had plenty of opportunities to score leading up to the break, but poor execution ruined any chance of further points in the opening 40 minutes.

It was the Thurston show immediately after the resumption with the crafty number seven setting up a brilliant 43rd try for Matt Bowen with a clever chip and re-gather on halfway.

The game's premier halfback was at it again just three minutes later when ran to the line then popped a magic ball to lock Sione Faumuina, who found winger Ty Williams in support, before the big Kiwi finished off the

Thurston's conversion handed the Cowboys an unassailable 24-0 lead.

The Bulldogs did respond well with tries to Hazem El Masri in the 54th minute, winger Andrew Emelio in the 69th and Ryan in the 71st, but their late flurry was all too late as the Cowboys held on for their seventh win of the season.

Source: SPORTAL  

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