Arabic version: كاوبويز يضع آمال بريزبن في النهائيات موضع شك

According to ABC News, North Queensland beat Brisbane 18-10 in the Queensland derby in Townsville on Saturday night, leaving the Broncos’ premiership defence all but over. Brisbane have 18 points and sit four wins outside the top eight with six games remaining.

The Broncos retain a remote mathematical chance of reaching the finals, but even six further wins would leave them with 12 victories. Their for-and-against stands at minus-132. Brisbane are set to become the first defending NRL premiers to miss the finals since the 2005 Wests Tigers failed to make the top eight in 2006.

North Queensland, eighth on 26 points, were led through the middle by Jason Taumalolo in his 31st derby. Heilum Luki scored the opening try after collecting Jaxon Purdue’s grubber, while Ezra Mam responded for Brisbane by setting up Xavier Willison. A Scott Drinkwater cut-out pass sent Braidon Burns down the touchline before he offloaded for Jake Clifford, giving the Cowboys a 14-4 halftime lead.

Drinkwater later added two points from a penalty before Mam scored for Brisbane after Reece Walsh forced a Burns error. The Cowboys restored an eight-point advantage with another penalty after Josiah Karapani conceded one. Cowboys co-captain Reuben Cotter received the Carl Webb Medal as man of the match. Reed Mahoney was ruled out with concussion in the seventh minute, while five players were placed on report: North Queensland’s Griffin Neame, Purdue and Luki, plus Brisbane’s Preston Riki and Kotoni Staggs.

In the day’s other results, Canterbury beat the Warriors 18-6 and Canberra defeated the Tigers 56-10, with both winners keeping their finals hopes alive.