The Canberra Raiders have succumbed to 22-16 defeat against the North Queensland Cowboys at GIO Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The game went down to the wire in the Nation’s Capital, with the Raiders building momentum in the final five minutes but ultimately falling short.
North Queensland’s Jordan Kahu put the first points on the board with a successful penalty.
The Cowboys maintained the pressure with a line break from Jake Granville which led to Tom Opacic scoring the first try of the match.
With the Green Machine inside the Cowboys’ ten, a cut out pass from Jack Wighton saw winger Bailey Simonsson score in the corner for the Raiders’ first.
Michael Oldfield scored Canberra’s second for the afternoon after the Tongan International pounced on grubber from halfback Sam Williams.
North Queensland took back the lead with a try five minutes from the break thanks to Justin O’Neill.
North Queensland came out firing early in the second half, with winger Kyle Feldt scoring off a kick from his captain Michael Morgan.
A Cowboys’ penalty gave the Raiders a strong attacking position, which led to a try from hooker Siliva Havili as caught the markers napping.
The last minutes of the game were tense as the Raiders searched for a try but it was the Cowboys who claimed the two competition points with a 22-16 win.
North Queensland Cowboys 22 (Tries: Opacic 1, O’Neill 1, Feldt 1 Goals: Kahu 5/6 ) def. Canberra Raiders 16 (Tries: Simonsson 1, Oldfield 1, Havili 1 Goals: Croker 2/3 )
