Cowboys score dramatic win over Sea Eagles

A second-half collapse from Manly has handed North Queensland a 28-26 win at Brookvale Oval, but the Cowboys were left counting the cost of a mounting injury toll.

Leading 26-12 with seven minutes to go on Friday night, the Sea Eagles imploded as tries from Connelly Lemuelu, Reece Robson and an 85-metre effort from Valentine Holmes in the space of four minutes flipped the script to ensure Todd Payten’s men return to Townsville with two competition points.

They will do so heavily scarred, however, with Queensland State of Origin hopefuls Reuben Cotter and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow going down with injury.

Cotter, who made his Maroons debut with a sterling performance in Origin I, pulled out of the warm-up with a hamstring complaint.

Valentine Holmes celebrates a try for the Cowboys. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Tabuai-Fidow, who had been vying with teammate Murray Taualgi to take Xavier Caotes’ spot on the wing, failed a HIA.

The 20-year-old flyer copped a bang to the head when Manly centre Morgan Harper slid in with his knees while the Cowboys winger was picking up a loose ball.

Without the talismanic Cotter the Cowboys were slow out of the blocks, with Christian Tuipolotu and Morgan Harper putting the Sea Eagles ahead 10-0 after 24 minutes.

Coen Hess batted back a Chad Townsend aerial bomb with Townsend regathering and kicking a speculative cross-field kick out to Holmes.

The Cowboys centre tiptoed down the sideline and then dotted down to get North Queensland’s first of the night and cut Manly’s halftime lead to just four.

Jeremiah Nanai and Tuipolotu traded tries and with a narrow lead, and having lost Kieran Foran to a HIA, Manly needed a moment of inspiration.

It came in the shape of a 40/20 kick from workmanlike hooker Lachlan Croker, who pounced on an in-goal grubber from Daly Cherry-Evans on the next to push Manly ahead.

Croker soon doubled his tally to push the Sea Eagles out to 26-12 with 15 minutes to go.

But with good field position the Cowboys were able to chip away at the hosts’ advantage.

Robson dived over from close range after a Nanai offload before Lemulemu backed up a Taulagi break.

With five minutes left on the clock, Cherry-Evans had the ball dislodged from his grasp after a scrum and Holmes picked it up to run the length of the field.

Cherry-Evans had a crack at a 50-metre field goal on the last play of the game but his effort faded away to the right of the sticks.