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Warriors 28 Cowboys 29
Warriors - Aitken 2, Montoya, Murdoch-Masila & Walsh tries; Nikorima 4 conversions
Cowboys - Feldt, Drinkwater, Clifford, Tabuai-Fidow & Taulagi tries; Holmes 4 conversions & drop goal
Second half
40th minute - Drop goal to Holmes
That could have been a two-pointer - he's just inside the 40 - and it sails high and straight. Hearbreak, Cowboys 29-28
From the short kickoff, RTS taps back and Drinkwater loses the ball in a tackle. Cowboys review and find RTS knocked on.
That's a Cowboys scrum with 15 seconds left - ball game!
Cowboys play out the final seconds and have put themselves inside the top eight with that win. Heartbreak for the Warriors.
39th minute - Warriors now looking for the field goal surely. CHT chips from in front, but it's left.
Cowboys have a chance to win this at the death and cross halfway.
38th minute - RTS is off for an HIA, Warriors kick off and Hess doesn't play the ball properly.
Cowboys try to challenge, because Ah Mau was impeding Hess, but ref Cecchin won't hear of it.
36th minute - Try to Tabuai-Fidow
Cowboys shift the ball left in their own 20 and the winger evades Aitken, sprints upfield, wrongfoots Walsh and then steps out of Nikorima's despairing tackle to score. We could be headed to golden point here...
Holmes converts, 28-28
35th minute - Drinkwater kicks high, Walsh juggles and recovers, but cramps up on landing.
CHT kicks deep again to control territory.
34th minute - Nikorima cops Harris' head on his nose during a tackle. He's bleeding and may gace an HIA.
He's left out there for now and Cowboys reach halfway. Ball comes right, but Bowen is stopped by Murchie.
33rd minute - Nikorima kicks high, but Taulagi catches in his goal area for seven tackles.
32nd minute - Warriors defence have Cowboys under pressue and they force a loose carry from Glanville on halfway.
31st minute - CHT kicks for touch and pins the Cowboys inside their 10.
30th minute - Ah Mau tries to offload to Taunoa-Brown, but it goes loose and Cowboys charge over halfway.
Cowboys try to offload, but the ball goes loose and Warriors recover.
29th minute - Warriors keep Cowboys in their own half and Clifford kicks high. Walsh lets it bounce and gathers.
28th minute - CHT kicks early again and finds touch 10m out from the Cowboys line.
27th minute - Cowboys kick off and RTS catches.
25th minute - Try to Murdoch-Masila
Walsh is rocked in a two-man tackle and is worse for wear. Teammates step in to protect him. Gilbert is put on report - it didn't look particularly high.
Warriors in good attacking position. CHT tests the defence, Egan goes left and the big bopper plunges over.
Nikorima converts from a handy angle, Warriors 28-22
24th minute - Clifford kicks long and Walsh catches, passing 30m across the field to Montoya for good metres.
23rd minute - CHT puts up a high kick and Tabuai -Fidow has to catch and pass, before he's pushed into touch.
22nd minute - From the kickoff, Afoa charges upfield.
20th minute - Try to Montoya
As the ball moves left, Walsh finds his winger with a long pass and Montoya steps inside Feldt's ineffectual tackle.
Nikorima starts his conversion way too far right and it can't bend back that far, 22-22
19th minute - Taunoa-Brown charges upfield from the dropout. Walsh looks for a long pass left, but Bowen knocks it down for a restart.
18th minute - Walsh reaches halfway and Nikorima dribbles a kick over the goal-line, where RTS traps Holmes for a dropout.
17th minute - Clifford kicks high, the ball goes loose and Dunn puts in another kick, gathered by Montoya on his line.
Pompey is left on the ground with a crusher tackle and Tevaga steps in to dispense some justice. Dumb move from the guy who has already hurt his team so much this game.
Gilbert goes on report for the tackle and Warriors clear their 20.
16th minute - From the scrum, Holmes threatens out right. CHT rocks Clifford with a smashing tackle.
15th minute - Cowboys back in Warriors territory, Drinkwater kicks high, but Tevaga knocks on to gift great attacking positon back to the Cowboys.
14th minute - Walsh has recovered and plays the ball. Harris-Tavita kicks early and deep.
13th minute - Harris-Tavita kicks high and Holmes charges into Pompey. Drinkwater kicks high, Clifford outjumps Walsh, but Walsh grabs him to stop the threat.
Walsh is hurt.
12th minute - Clifford kicks from his own 30, but its deep and bouncing, and Montoya has trouble tracking it down.
11th minute - Harris-Tavita kicks high, Montoya contests, but Feldt grabs it second attempt.
10th minute - From the kickoff, Warriors spread the ball and Pompey is finally tackled on the 40.
Eighth minute - Hess charges upfield, Cowboys move right, but Holmes's pass goes loose and Motoya gathers to find Walsh, who sprints the length of the field. He's collared by Luki just short of the line, but he reaches out to score.
Nikorima swings his sideline conversion between the uprights, Cowboys 22-18
Seventh minute - Walsh kicks on the last, but Holmes is safe on the bouncing ball.
Sixth minute - Cowboys kick off and Ah Mau charges upfield. Set restart to the Warriors.
Fourth minute - Try to Aitken
Warriors move the ball right, Walsh wrongfoots the defence and RTS puts Aitken over in the corner. Nikorima swings the ball between the uprights, Cowboys 22-12
Third minute - Ah Mau rumbles towards the posts and as Nikorima moves the ball left, Bowen knocks the ball down. A new set on the Cowboys goal-line.
Second minute - Warriors move right and Harris-Tavita kicks high. Cowboys spill the ball and Harris-Tavita regathers in front of the posts.
First minute - Warriors really need to be the next to score, but will at least be back to full strength, as they kick off for the second half.
On the final tackle, Clifford kicks high and Montoya catches in midfield.
First half
40th minute - Cowboys cross halfway from the kickoff, Feldt puts a kick ahead and Walsh almost coughs it up, but tidied by Harris-Tavita, as the halftime siren sounds.
39th minute - Try to Drinkwater
Robson offloads on halfway and finds his half, who splits the short-handed defence, brushing past Walsh, and sprints to the line. Holmes converts, Cowboys 22-6
38th minute - Walsh kicks off again and it's shallow.
36th minute - Try to Clifford
Luki goes close, Wright is held up, and Clifford kicks behind the defence, chases past Katoa and touches down. Holmes converts, Cowboys 16-6
35th minute - Katoa tries another offload and the ball goes loose, recovered by the Cowboys.
Pompey commits a crusher tackle and Cowboys have a penalty in midfield.
34th minute - Long pass to Feldt, but Pompey covers him. Drinkwater kicks on the last and Walsh had to knock dead, but Tabuai-Fidow actually gets a touch and Warriors have seven tackles.
33rd minute - On the last tackle, Nikorima fumbles the ball - another terrible result at the end of a set.
32nd minute - Warriors get another set restart and reach halfway.
31st minute - Drinkwater spills the ball to let Warriors off the hook.
30th minute - Warriors reach halfway, but Katoa spills the ball in an offload.
Tevaga is guilty of a late tackle on Luki and the Cowboys will have great position from the penalty. Tevaga heads to the sin bin, so Warriors are short.
29th minute - Clifford kicks from halfway and Walsh catches a swirling ball.
28th minute - Warriors kick off and Luki charges upfield.
27th minute - Try to Taulai
Cowboys have great position inside Warriors 10. Ball goes left and Holmes puts his winger over in the corner. Holmes hooks his conversion, Cowboys 10-6
26th minute - Cowboys threaten out left, but Drinkwater drops the ball onto his foot - play on. A high kick towards Feldt beats everyone into touch for a Warriors scrum.
Cowboys challenge and replays show the ball came off Montoya's shoulder - Cowboys ball.
25th minute - From the scrum, RTS reaches halfway on the first tackle. Walsh's pass goes behind Pompey.
24th minute - Clifford's kick bounces off a Warrior and Holmes almost regathers, but knocks on.
23rd minute - Katoa dents the defence, Harris-Tavita grubbers, but the Cowboys cover.
22nd minute - Walsh is again safe at the back and reaches his 30. Warriors get a set restart - the first of the game.
21st minute - Walsh's pass on the last tackle is flat and Montoya puts in an ordinary kick.
20th minute - Cowboys kick from their own 30 and Walsh is safe. Pompey is drive back, but Harris reaches halfway.
19th minute - Harris-Tavita dummies and takes a half gap, Walsh grubbers upfield and Montoya gets a boot to the ball before it finds touch. Cowboys on the back foot.
18th minute - Murchie makes ground towards the line, but Evans dies with the ball on the last tackle.
Drinkwater kicks to space, but Walsh covers the bounce and cops a shoulder in the tackle.
17th minute - Montoya breaks and tackle and makes ground up the left. Warriors deep in Cowboys territory.
16th minute - Warriors kick off and Drinkwater catches, as his forwards charge up field.
Drinkwater kicks and Walsh has time and space to move.
14th minute - Try to Feldt
Cowboys go right, where Clifford and Dunn combine to put the winger over in the corner. Holmes is on target from the sideline, 6-6
13th minute - Clifford grubbers to the line and Walsh has to knock the dead again.
Walsh's dropout goes 50m.
12th minute - Walsh kicks off and the Cowboys build through the forwards.
11th minute - Egan hits Robson in the face in a tackle - it looks incidental, but he's put on report.
Aitken makes a good tackle on Holmes to stop an attack, but Drinkwater kicks behind the line and RTS is wrapped up for a dropout.
10th minute - Evans reaches halfway on the last tackle and Harris-Tavita kicks high to Holmes.
Ninth minute - Cowboys move left, but Holmes' last pass to Taulagi drifts over the sideline to let the Warriors off the hook.
Eighth minute - Walsh miscues his dropout and Cowboys charge onto attack.
Seventh minute - Good tackle from Montoya on Feldt, but a kick towards the posts is knocked dead by Walsh for a Warriors dropout.
Sixth minute - Nikorima kicks early again on the third tackle and the Cowboys knock on. They challenge the decision and replays show Murchie stripped the ball with two in the tackle.
Cowboys kick for touch and go on the attack.
Fifth minute - Cowboys kick off, Evans returns again.
Third minute - Try to Aitken
Warriors move right and Nikorima puts Murchie through a gap. From the play-the-ball, Nikorima puts Aitken through a gap to the line.
The bunker has a bit to review, but confirm the putdown. Nikorima swings his conversion between the posts, Warriors 6-0
Second minute - Warriors kick early to Holmes and Cowboys cross halfway.
Drinlwater kicks to Montoya, who catches in goal for seven tackles.
First minute - Cowboys kick off, Walsh catches and passes to Evans for the first hit-up.
7:27pm - The Warriors have confirmed their starting line-up as previously named, while the Cowboys have switched Coen Hess back to the bench, promoting Corey Jensen into lock.
Warriors: 1-Reece Walsh, 2-Marcelo Montoya, 3-Adam Pompey, 4-Euan Aitken, 5-Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 6-Kodi Nikorima, 7-Chanel Harris-Tavita, 8-Jamayne Taunoa-Brown, 9-Wayde Egan, 10-Kane Evans, 11-Jack Murchie, 12-Eliesa Katoa, 13-Tohu Harris
Interchange: 14-Jazz Tevaga, 15-Leeson Ah Mau, 16-Bunty Afoa, 17-Ben Murdoch-Masila
Cowboys: 1-Valentine Holmes, 2-Kyle Feldt, 3-Javid Bowen, 4-Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, 5-Murray Taulagi, 6-Scott Drinkwater, 7-Jake Clifford, 8-Tom Gilbert, 9-Reece Robson, 10-Jordan McLean, 11-Shane Wright, 12-Mitchell Dunn, 16-Corey Jensen
Interchange: 13-Coen Hess, 14-Jake Glanville, 15-Peter Hola, 17-Heilum Luki
Just a reminder, Cowboys forwards Jason Taumalolo and Lachlan Burr have been suspended out of this game.
*****
Kia ora, good evening and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of NZ Warriors' NRL clash with North Queensland Cowboys at Townsville.
The Warriors are still chasing consecutive wins for the first time this season, but even more importantly, they must defeat another team in the logjam for top-eight playoff spots. Both rivals have five wins/six losses records this season and are two of four teams occupying 7th-10th with the same record.
After a rough four-loss start to the season, former Warriors interim coach Todd Payten has turned the Cowboys' fortunes around, with a 6-1 run in recent weeks.
That one blemish was a 24-20 loss to the Warriors at Gosford four weeks ago, when the 'home' team ran out to a 20-point halftime lead and went scoreless after the break to barely survive.
The developing rivalry between these two clubs has undoubtedly grown from Payten's rejection of a fulltime role as Warriors head coach, preferring to return to his previous club, where he won a premiership title as assistant coach in 2015.
He took hardworking forward Lachlan Burr with him and has now snatched utility back Peta Hiku from Warriors ranks for next season.
Meanwhile, much of the pre-match Warriors chat has centred on teen sensation Reece Walsh, who will wear the No.1 jersey for the first time, after impressing in various cameo roles in his short time at the club.
Originally recruited to replace rugby-bound skipper Roger Tuivasa-Sheck next season, Walsh has forced his way into the fullback role early, with his captain moved onto the wing, where he began his career.
Walsh has also been part of a representative tug o' war, with the NZ Kiwis and Queensland both seemingly interested in securing his services.
Warriors prodigy Walsh rejects chance to play for Kiwis
NZ Warriors sensation Reece Walsh has rejected the advances of NZ Kiwis coach Michael Maguire, committing his future to Australia and Queensland.
Walsh, 18, is eligible to represent New Zealand through his Kiwi mother, but was born on the Gold Coast.
That didn't stop Maguire from attempting to secure Walsh's services for his New Zealand side, approaching the young fullback after the Warriors' 30-26 victory over Wests Tigers in Gosford last week.
But Walsh made it clear he saw himself as an Australian at test level and a Queenslander in State of Origin.
"He did say to me in there, 'Mate, Kiwis, what do you want to do?' I said, 'I'm an Aussie'," Walsh says.
"It's the highest level and it's what I want to push for later in my career.
"I was born in Queensland, I love Queensland and it's a dream of mine to one day play for Queensland.
"I played for Australian Schoolboys, and I feel like Queensland and Australia are the highest level."
Walsh's desire to play for will please Queensland legends Wally Lewis and Billy Moore, who have both gone on the record this week, calling for the Warriors rookie to wear maroon this year.
Walsh could be an option for Paul Green's side, with star half Cameron Munster under an injury cloud, but Warriors coach Nathan Brown believes this year may be too soon for the step to Origin.
"Personally, I'd like to not see Reece play Origin at this time of his career," Brown says. "He's so young and he's only played a handful of games in the last two years.
"In saying that, people like Wally Lewis and Billy Moore, they've achieved far more than me at that level.
"I wasn't good enough to get there, and those two played a thousand games and did it well, so they certainly understand State of Origin a lot better than Nathan Brown, because they've been right at the coalface.
"It's great they're talking about him, and hopefully Reece just continues to grow and develop with us, and over time, those things I'm sure will come his way."
