League: Cowboys rustle up a huge upset win

By PETER JESSUP

The North Queensland Cowboys engineered one of the biggest upsets in NRL finals history at the weekend, beating the Bulldogs 30-22 in the Cowboys' maiden playoff game.

The Cowboys targeted Kiwi wing Matt Utai with bombs, backing Matt Sing to get above him - and it worked: he scored three tries.

North Queensland's captain Paul Bowman ran interference to block the 168cm Utai's sight-line in accepting the ball in a barely legal part of the tactic.

And the Melbourne Storm pressured another young Kiwi, 21-year-old Gary Tupou, who was playing only his second NRL game, wearing him down by delivering the ball down his side repeatedly,

That worked, too, in their 31-14 upset win over the Brisbane Broncos.

St George Illawarra are the big losers from week one of the finals.

Because Melbourne, who were sixth following round-robin play, beat the third-placed Broncos and the Cowboys, in seventh, beat the second-placed Bulldogs, St George are out.

The Roosters' 38-12 victory to eliminate the Canberra Raiders yesterday sets the Broncos up against North Queensland at Aussie Stadium next Saturday, with the winners playing the Roosters in week three. The Bulldogs play Melbourne at the same venue next Sunday, with Penrith awaiting the winners.

Kiwi captain Ruben Wiki's appearance for Canberra was the big surprise at Aussie Stadium yesterday after the ankle ligament tear he suffered the previous weekend.

The Raiders played tough for the first, scoreless 20 minutes. Then Brett Finch's kicking game beat them, a chip producing the Roosters' first try, to Craig Fitzgibbon.

When Canberra's Clinton Schifcofske was sinbinned five minutes before the break, the Roosters scored twice, Chris Walker scooting around the shortened defence, then Justin Hodges being the first to a Finch last-tackle kick as Marshall Chalk slipped over.

They added another to Brad Fittler before Schifcofske returned but the floodgates were open.

It was 71 minutes before the Raiders got points, through a bomb collected by wing Nathan Smith, and their second try came right on fulltime, to Chalk.

The Roosters have halfback Finch on report for lifting Schifcofske and lock Luke Ricketson for a head-slam that left Josh Miller concussed.

Bulldogs coach Steve Folkes claimed he had no concern at the big loss by his side, their seventh in nine finals games since they made the 1998 grand final (lost 38-12 to Brisbane).

Folkes said a game next weekend would be good for them - a week off might not have been.

Brisbane coach Wayne Bennett expressed similar feelings about the result for the Broncos.

"Worry is like a rocking chair - it gives you something to do and takes you nowhere."

Both, though, will be worried about the lack of intensity from their teams and also about injuries and, in Folkes' case, the possible suspension of his skipper, Steve Price.

Price showed unusual frustration as his team failed to click into gear.

He spent 10 minutes in the sinbin for a professional foul early in the first half as he held down David Myles in attempt to stop a rampant Cowboys side and was put on report for striking after an altercation with tackler Glenn Morrison in the second.

While Price was off, Cowboys second rower Luke O'Donnell scored to tee up a man-of-the-match performance, and Sing had the first of his high-ball tries from Nathan Fien.

When Braith Anasta left the field at the 25th minute with a sternum injury that may keep him out next weekend, the Cowboys were ahead 18-0, and an upset looked on.

But Bulldogs bench player Sonny Bill Williams made an immediate impact when he took an offload from centre Ben Harris to score and at 18-6 at the break there was the feeling the favourites would see punters right.

But North Queensland had first points after the break when Sing scored, and Matt Bowen came on to dazzle with a great solo try.

Cowboys prop Paul Rauhihi made 98m despite being in doubt until the day before the match with a calf injury.

He is a Kiwi certainty for the Tri-Nations series, as is Williams, from the Dogs. Utai, too, played strongly, but his aerial frailty will have to be covered after being badly exposed.

Price's 159m was the most of all props and his 2005 Warriors team-mate Fien was smart for the Cowboys.

The Storm slept through the first half of their qualifying final at Suncorp Stadium earlier on Saturday night, but were down only 0-8 at the break, Tonie Carroll scoring off a Darren Lockyer pass.

Five-eighth Scott Hill sparked the Storm attack, scoring their first try just after halftime then setting up Steve Bell and Matt King for a 14-8 lead after 50 minutes.

Tate gave the home team some hope for a decent send-off for captain Gorden Tallis' final game in the city with a 90m break where he showed toe to outpace Slater.

But Storm half Matt Orford sealed the result when he ran at the line and kept going through traffic to score by the posts, convert, and then drop a field goal to kill any revival hopes.

The playoffs

* Broncos play North Queensland at Aussie Stadium next Saturday. The winners will play the Roosters in week three.

* The Bulldogs play Melbourne at the same venue next Sunday, with Penrith awaiting the winners.

NRL points table and fixtures