Thurston scare as Cowboys thrash Dragons

Updated May 04, 2012 23:25:45

The Cowboys enjoyed a rare Friday night home game and they made it count with a crushing 30-6 victory over the Dragons in Townsville.

But the win was soured by a late shot on Jonathan Thurston which resulted in Dragons forward Matt Prior being sent off in the 55th minute.

Thurston did not return after being flattened by the point of Prior's elbow but his absence made little difference with the Cowboys having already established a commanding first-half lead.

Cowboys hooker Aaron Payne told Grandstand his team's consistency was the most pleasing aspect of the win.

"We've been competing but we haven't been competing for 80 (minutes)," Payne said.

"It was a really good effort.

"(It) showed in defence and I think that's what won us the game."

The veteran hooker said North Queensland needs to excel on a more regular basis if it is to compete with the top sides.

"That's what the Melbourne Storms and the Broncos and those sort of top echelons of clubs are doing," Payne said.

"They're doing it consistently."

North Queensland five-eighth Thurston was in outstanding first-half form, laying on several of the Cowboys' best moves and denying Dragons interchange Jeremy Latimore a try with a desperate goal-line lunge.

But it was Ray Thompson who opened the scoring when he finished off a slick backline move in just the second minute of play.

There was plenty more razzle-dazzle on display as Thurston sent the prolific Matt Bowen in for his eighth try of the season soon after.

Bowen then turned provider, this time setting up a rampaging Kane Linnett as the Cowboys ran a punch-drunk Dragons defence ragged.

And the best was yet to come as a James Segeyaro cross-field kick was finished off by flying Cowboys winger Brent Tate, whose dive into the corner was rewarded with a benefit of the doubt decision by video referee Russell Smith.

Thurston summed up a committed first-half display from the Cowboys by knocking the ball loose from Latimore when the St George Illawarra front rower dived over the line.

Dragons back rower Ben Creagh gave credit to the Cowboys but said his side's poor first half performance was costly.

"I thought we played a lot better in the second half with 12 men than we did (with) 13 in the first.

"That's not a very good thing to have.

"We should have that scramble and intensity in the first half, so we've got a bit to work to do."

Any chance of a Dragons comeback was foiled when Prior became the first player this season to receive his marching orders for his high shot on Thurston with 25 minutes remaining.

Brett Morris and Tariq Sims traded tries late on but by then most of the concern from the parochial home crowd surrounded the state of their star playmaker, who at least made it back to the bench.

Cowboys: 30 (R Thompson, M Bowen, K Linnett, B Tate, T Sims tries; J Thurston 2/4 cons, M Bowen 1/1 con; J Thurston 2/2 pens, M Bowen 1/1 pen)

Dragons: 6 (B Morris try; J Soward 1/1 con)

Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, townsville-4810, qld, wollongong-2500, australia

First posted May 04, 2012 21:46:15

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Morris impresses as Dogs thrash Eels

Updated May 04, 2012 23:24:41

Parramatta's dismal season hit a new low on Friday night as a Josh Morris-inspired Canterbury cantered to a 46-12 win at the Olympic stadium.

The defeat ensured the Eels are off to their worst start to a season in 52 years, to heap more pressure on beleaguered coach Stephen Kearney.

John F Kennedy was running for the US presidency the last time a Parramatta side lost eight of their first nine games of a season, with Morris bagging his 50th try in Bulldogs colours on the way to his second hat-trick of the year to push his Origin claims.

"Credit to the halves, they did all the right things and put me in the position to score those tries," he told Grandstand after the Dogs broke a three-game slide.

"I have to give Josh Reynolds and Kris Keating credit for that."

While Keating topped the tackle count with 43, Morris had specific praise for Reynolds.

"Josh is in his second year now. He is a real competitor, he lifts the team and is a great player to play alongside."

The young playmaker has been tipped as a Blues bolter, and he did his State of Origin aspirations no harm with a superb kick and chase before diving in front of Jarryd Hayne to score in the second half.

That try snuffed out any of the Eels' remaining confidence as the Bulldogs stepped up a gear and piled on the points.

Kearney slammed his side's second-half display, and made the startling accusation that some of his players lacked the toughness required at NRL level.

The Eels coach said he was pleased with how his side started the game, completing 15 of 15 sets, but said he was alarmed with how they fell away.

"We should have gone in at half-time ahead not 10 points behind," Kearney said.

"The second half was pretty average. We lack the toughness to be able to come through a setback.

"I think when teams play against us ... they just think 'we just have to hang in there and they'll self-destruct.

"For me that's as plain as it gets. We've got to toughen up and be able to push through those periods."

Bulldogs coach Hasler was pleased to see his side end a run of three successive losses and said he expected a strong start from the Eels, but felt his team were always in control.

"We knew that they'd start pretty quickly, and they did that," he said.

"I think they went 15-from-15 with their possession and they were playing good footy.

"They kicked us to death early but the boys showed a lot of character in being able to claw their way back in and bounce back to play some really good footy."

The former Manly mentor was also pleased with the way his side bounced back from recent physical encounters against his former club and Melbourne.

"It's been a pretty tough month of football, we've been involved in some pretty tight tussles," he said.

"Those of you who witnessed those games would have realised they were tough games of footy and physically taxing."

Morris opened the scoring in the 13th minute after Ben Barba wriggled past Willie Tonga and teed up his on-rushing centre.

The Eels' response was good as they completed their opening 13 sets and looked positive in attack.

Ryan Morgan pounced onto a high kick from Casey McGuire in the 19th minute to score and young winger Ken Sio then crossed for the fourth time this season following a clever grubber-kick from Hayne.

However, all of the hosts' good work unravelled five minutes before half-time when the Bulldogs ran in three quick-fire tries through Morris, Tim Lafai and Dene Halatau.

All three four-pointers stemmed from Parramatta errors, with former New South Wales prop Justin Poore and fellow front-rower Mitchell Allgood conceding soft penalties that presented Des Hasler's side with great field position.

And former Kiwi Test utility Halatau waltzed through some powder-puff defence to score, seconds before the siren sounded to give his side a 22-12 lead at the break.

Bulldogs: 46 (J Morris 3, T Lafai, D Halatau, J Reynolds, J Wright, B Goodwin tries; B Goodwin 6/8 cons; 1/1 pen)

Eels: 12 (R Morgan, K Sio tries; L Burt 2/2 cons)

ABC/AAP

Tags: nrl, rugby-league, sport, sydney-2000, nsw, australia, canterbury-2193, parramatta-2150

First posted May 04, 2012 21:33:25

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