North Queensland have blown away the Dolphins with an array of scintillating tries in a 43-18 win to sit on top of the NRL ladder after the completion of round one.
The Dolphins had a fairytale start to NRL life at Lang Park last year with a win for the ages over the Sydney Roosters, but 32,477 fans were silenced on this occasion by a rampant Cowboys outfit.
North Queensland scored five first-half tries to lead 31-12 at the break in a display of power, speed and skill.
It was exactly the fast start coach Todd Payten had called for after the Cowboys missed last year's finals series.
The Dolphins' defence on the edges was ragged and the visitors made them pay.
Cowboys fullback Scott Drinkwater and centre Valentine Holmes were a constant threat.
Holmes had the measure of his opposite number Herbie Farnworth, who made little impact on his NRL debut for the hosts.
The Dolphins suffered an injury blow when second-rower Connelly Lemuelu left the field just before halftime with a knee injury.
New Cowboys centre Zac Laybutt was outstanding.
The Papua New Guinea international sliced through feeble defence to open the scoring in the second minute and trampled Dolphins half Sean O'Sullivan to set up winger Kyle Feldt under the posts after half-an-hour.
Holmes was the provider for a try to winger Murray Taulagi while back-rower Jeremiah Nanai sliced through naive Dolphins edge defence.
New Dolphins signing Thomas Flegler and fellow prop Josh Kerr both crashed over with determined runs before the break but it was hardly enough.
The second half started as badly as the first for the hosts, with fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow kicking the ball rather than picking it up in a lazy piece of play.
It went straight into the arms of barnstorming second-rower Heilum Luki who raced away to score.
Tabuai-Fidow said before the match he had been watching Drinkwater highlight reels for tips on how to improve his ball playing.
Drinkwater outpointed his opposite number on this occasion despite Tabuai-Fidow showing his brilliance to set up a late consolation try for winger Jack Bostock.
Laybutt was awarded a late penalty try to cap a memorable match.
It was an afternoon to forget for the Dolphins who lacked penetration and energy.
AAP
Re-live all the action in our live blog.
That'll do us! The first round of the 2024 NRL season is in the books. Not a bad way to finish off either (unless you're a Dolphin) and we'll be back on Thursday night to do it all again when the Broncos host the Rabbitohs. Who needs Las Vegas when you have Lang Park?
See you then, hope your tips get better.
And North Queensland give us one more to finish - Drinkwater creates some space down the right, Nanai throws a nice pass to Feldt and he dives over in the corner to finish a wonderful day for the North Queenslanders. But the video ref says he dropped it as he was putting it down.....that's a bad call, one of a couple today from Kasey Badger in the Bunker.
They've had a rotten day, the Dolphins, but that was nice. Townsend went for a chip and chase on the 20, Tabuai-Fidow cleans it up, glides past a few defenders and finds Niu, who races downfield. Bostock is there in support and he dives over in the corner. Isaako converts and it's 43-18.
Townsend puts in a nice grubber that curls right to where Nanai and Laybutt are standing but each thinks the other was going to get it and instead it rolls dead.....only for referee Chris Butler to decide Bostock shoved Laybutt off the ball. Weird call. Holmes converts and it's 43-12 Cowboys.
Dearden puts the kick up, Nanai challenges Bostock an the Dolphin knocks it back. Townsend chases the ball towards the dead line and taps it back in for Cotter to pick it up and score. Upon review, Nanai is shown to have touched the ball first. No try.
Normal service has resumed. The Cowboys run it on the last on halfway, Holmes puts Taulagi away, he kicks in-field, Tabuai-Fidow....kicks at the loose ball for some reason? It's an awful decision because it lands right in the breadbasket of Luki and he gallops 15 metres to score. Holmes converts and it's 37-12 to the Cowboys.
Dolphins manage to wrap up Nanai on the last, then Feldt drops the clearing kick to give them a chance at clawing back this big lead.
Marshall-King hits Kerr short, he tries to pop an offload to O'Sullivan, the halfback seems to have knocked it on and toed it through before he puts it down. Video ref confirms it and it'll be Cowboys ball.
Cowboys kick off an Kaufusi puts it down almost straight away.....deary me.
Townsend bangs over a field goal from 30 metres out on the final play of the half to put an exclamation point on a brilliant first half.
It's raining tries at Lang Park - a Nikorima error gives the Cowboys another shot and Dearden fires a great flat pass to Holmes. Farnworth gets him down, but Holmes draws Isaako in and throws a one-handed pass to Taulagi...it might have been forward but the refs let it go and after Holmes converts it's 30-12 to North Queensland.
Few points at Lang Park today! The Dolphins have pulled one back, Kerr picks out Drinkwater and Townsend close to the line and he smashes his way over. That's out of nowhere and didn't they need it! Isaako converts and the Dolphins are back to 24-12.
This could get ugly. Laybutt bounces through the tackle of O'Sullivan and flies into the backfield. He has Feldt in support and the veteran goes all the way to score under the posts. Holmes converts again, it's 24-6 and the Dolphins are looking very frail.
There's another one. Niu drops the ball in the shadows of his own goalposts and on the last tackle of the ensuing set Robson gets Nanai one-on-one with Tabuai-Fidow defending in the line and the big backrower stretches out and scores. Cowboys are looking really sharp, Holmes converts and they're up 18-6.
After Holmes throws a great offload to Taulagi out wide, Dearden goes for the line on the last, showing a dummy and reaching out for the line.....it looks like he's put it on Tabuai-Fidow's knee and then rolled it onto the ground, video ref confirms it, Holmes converts and it's 12-6 to North Queensland.
Three tackles after the kick-off, Cotter knocks it on in the play the ball. Dolphins have a chance to strike back.
A quick shift to the left almost puts Bostock over in the corner only for Feldt to knock down Niu's pass at the last minute. Three tackles later Jesse Bromwich hits Flegler short and the new recruit is over! Good stuff from the Dolphins, Bromwich did well to get Flegler one-on-one with Nanai. Isaako converts and it's 6-all.
Damn, that's how you get it started! Cowboys spread it right on halfway on the last tackle, Nanai puts Laybutt away, he bursts into space and sells Tabuai-Fidow a huuuuuuge dummy to score next to the posts. Super try! Holmes converts and the Cowboys are up 6-0.
And we're underway at Lang Park!
If you're anything like me the string of upsets have absolutley killed you on the tip front this weekend. I'm 2/6 right now, what a disaster.
Still, I tipped the Cowbiys earlier this week and I'm sticking with it. But let's go a Dolphin to score first, Herbie Farnworth maybe.
Cowboys got the better of the Phins when they locked horns late last year. Injuries had slowed the Dolphins down a fair bit by that point, but it's still worth a look - had some nice tries at the very least.
In case you missed it yesterday, Josh Addo-Carr missed the second half of Canterbury's loss to Parramatta with what appeared to be a pretty bad shoulder injury.
The Bulldogs have just put out a statement saying they expect him to miss 2-4 weeks - he's been cleared of a fracture but sustained a complex AC joint injury.
That'll do us! The first round of the 2024 NRL season is in the books. Not a bad way to finish off either (unless you're a Dolphin) and we'll be back on Thursday night to do it all again when the Broncos host the Rabbitohs. Who needs Las Vegas when you have Lang Park?
See you then, hope your tips get better.
And North Queensland give us one more to finish - Drinkwater creates some space down the right, Nanai throws a nice pass to Feldt and he dives over in the corner to finish a wonderful day for the North Queenslanders. But the video ref says he dropped it as he was putting it down.....that's a bad call, one of a couple today from Kasey Badger in the Bunker.
They've had a rotten day, the Dolphins, but that was nice. Townsend went for a chip and chase on the 20, Tabuai-Fidow cleans it up, glides past a few defenders and finds Niu, who races downfield. Bostock is there in support and he dives over in the corner. Isaako converts and it's 43-18.
Townsend puts in a nice grubber that curls right to where Nanai and Laybutt are standing but each thinks the other was going to get it and instead it rolls dead.....only for referee Chris Butler to decide Bostock shoved Laybutt off the ball. Weird call. Holmes converts and it's 43-12 Cowboys.
Dearden puts the kick up, Nanai challenges Bostock an the Dolphin knocks it back. Townsend chases the ball towards the dead line and taps it back in for Cotter to pick it up and score. Upon review, Nanai is shown to have touched the ball first. No try.
Normal service has resumed. The Cowboys run it on the last on halfway, Holmes puts Taulagi away, he kicks in-field, Tabuai-Fidow....kicks at the loose ball for some reason? It's an awful decision because it lands right in the breadbasket of Luki and he gallops 15 metres to score. Holmes converts and it's 37-12 to the Cowboys.
Dolphins manage to wrap up Nanai on the last, then Feldt drops the clearing kick to give them a chance at clawing back this big lead.
Marshall-King hits Kerr short, he tries to pop an offload to O'Sullivan, the halfback seems to have knocked it on and toed it through before he puts it down. Video ref confirms it and it'll be Cowboys ball.
Cowboys kick off an Kaufusi puts it down almost straight away.....deary me.
Townsend bangs over a field goal from 30 metres out on the final play of the half to put an exclamation point on a brilliant first half.
It's raining tries at Lang Park - a Nikorima error gives the Cowboys another shot and Dearden fires a great flat pass to Holmes. Farnworth gets him down, but Holmes draws Isaako in and throws a one-handed pass to Taulagi...it might have been forward but the refs let it go and after Holmes converts it's 30-12 to North Queensland.
Few points at Lang Park today! The Dolphins have pulled one back, Kerr picks out Drinkwater and Townsend close to the line and he smashes his way over. That's out of nowhere and didn't they need it! Isaako converts and the Dolphins are back to 24-12.
This could get ugly. Laybutt bounces through the tackle of O'Sullivan and flies into the backfield. He has Feldt in support and the veteran goes all the way to score under the posts. Holmes converts again, it's 24-6 and the Dolphins are looking very frail.
There's another one. Niu drops the ball in the shadows of his own goalposts and on the last tackle of the ensuing set Robson gets Nanai one-on-one with Tabuai-Fidow defending in the line and the big backrower stretches out and scores. Cowboys are looking really sharp, Holmes converts and they're up 18-6.
After Holmes throws a great offload to Taulagi out wide, Dearden goes for the line on the last, showing a dummy and reaching out for the line.....it looks like he's put it on Tabuai-Fidow's knee and then rolled it onto the ground, video ref confirms it, Holmes converts and it's 12-6 to North Queensland.
Three tackles after the kick-off, Cotter knocks it on in the play the ball. Dolphins have a chance to strike back.
A quick shift to the left almost puts Bostock over in the corner only for Feldt to knock down Niu's pass at the last minute. Three tackles later Jesse Bromwich hits Flegler short and the new recruit is over! Good stuff from the Dolphins, Bromwich did well to get Flegler one-on-one with Nanai. Isaako converts and it's 6-all.
Damn, that's how you get it started! Cowboys spread it right on halfway on the last tackle, Nanai puts Laybutt away, he bursts into space and sells Tabuai-Fidow a huuuuuuge dummy to score next to the posts. Super try! Holmes converts and the Cowboys are up 6-0.
And we're underway at Lang Park!
If you're anything like me the string of upsets have absolutley killed you on the tip front this weekend. I'm 2/6 right now, what a disaster.
Still, I tipped the Cowbiys earlier this week and I'm sticking with it. But let's go a Dolphin to score first, Herbie Farnworth maybe.
Cowboys got the better of the Phins when they locked horns late last year. Injuries had slowed the Dolphins down a fair bit by that point, but it's still worth a look - had some nice tries at the very least.
In case you missed it yesterday, Josh Addo-Carr missed the second half of Canterbury's loss to Parramatta with what appeared to be a pretty bad shoulder injury.
The Bulldogs have just put out a statement saying they expect him to miss 2-4 weeks - he's been cleared of a fracture but sustained a complex AC joint injury.
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