KEY POINTS:
The Townsville blues continued for the New Zealand Warriors, losing 12-18 to North Queensland in a thriller to halt their National Rugby League (NRL) revival last night.
Without a win in five years at Dairy Farmers Stadium, the Warriors stormed back from 0-18 down with 20 minutes left
in an exciting final stanza, but it was too late.
Wingers Patrick Ah Van and Manu Vatuvei crossed out wide to get within six points with seven minutes left, but the home defence scrambled as the desperate Warriors flung the ball everywhere.
Ah Van's sin binning for tackling a player without the ball just before halftime proved costly as the Cowboys scored two tries in that period against the 12-man Warriors.
They were also rueing the controversial no-try decision against fullback Wade McKinnon late in the first half.
The result ended the Warriors' three-match winning streak to leave them hovering outside the top-eight.
The Cowboys, who played the last 30 minutes without their injured star playmaker Johnathan Thurston, cemented their spot in the top-four with their 10th win of the season.
The hosts led 12-0 after an incident-packed first half which hinged on television referee decisions, while the out-of-sorts Warriors missed 23 tackles before the break.
It took 24 minutes for the first points as both sides struggled to complete their sets, the Warriors guilty of handling errors and stray passes.
Former Cowboy Micheal Luck went closest when he burst clear only for fullback Matt Bowen to halt him 1m short in a brilliant try-saving tackle.
The hosts scored the first try when Ben Farrar grubbered behind Vatuvei for Ashley Graham to touch down in the right-hand corner. Test halfback Thurston converted from the sideline.
The Warriors were outraged when they were denied a stunning try to McKinnon five minutes later.
McKinnon beat four tacklers in a weaving 35m run, but video referee Steve Nash ruled a penalty from what appeared a minor obstruction by Sam Rapira in behind McKinnon.
Nash was in the game again two minutes before halftime when Thurston conjured some magic to get in behind the Warriors' defence, kicked through for Ty Williams who was brought down on the line by Ah Van.
It seemed the Warriors were lucky to escape a penalty try, but Ah Van was still sin binned for 10 minutes by referee Tony Archer.
The Cowboys cashed in on the next play when prop Carl Webb strolled between Epalahame Lauaki and Grant Rovelli to score in a handy position.
Six minutes after halftime Ah Van's absence was felt again when former Warrior Sione Faumuina charged a Michael Witt kick on halfway and raced away to score under the posts.
Thurston departed soon afterwards with a hip flexor injury.
The Warriors finally strung some plays together, against the team with the second-worst defensive record in the NRL, scoring their first try in the 62nd minute when Ah Van crossed out wide from a simple overlap.
Vatuvei then scored from a neat crosskick from Witt, who converted from the sideline, in the 73rd minute to set up a grandstand finish.
The closest the Warriors got in the desperate final minutes was when Ah Van was stopped 2m short in the right-hand corner.
- NZPA