The Cowboys have escaped with a 27-23 win in golden level thriller in opposition to the Panthers with Scott Drinkwater developing with the matchwinning strive.
It was all Penrith within the first half, earlier than an impressed Cowboys outfit staged a second half comeback to lock scores up with 18 minutes to go.
Chad Townsend slotted a discipline objective earlier than Jack Cogger responded within the last minute to ship the sport into golden level.
MATCH CENTRE: Cowboys vs Panthers reside rating, stats, video
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After no factors within the first five-minute block, the 2 groups went once more. The ball discovered itself in Drinkwater’s arms with two minutes left and he ran round some drained Panthers gamers to attain.
It got here after a red-hot begin from the Panthers, who took simply two minutes to strike when fill-in halfback Jack Cogger put a cross-field kick up for Izack Tago, who later crossed for a second too.
The Cowboys confirmed some class after they scored two tries in seven minutes with Tom Dearden organising the primary and scoring the second.
But the Panthers snatched an eight-point lead when stand-in five-eighth Jaeman Salmon crossed. He had a hand of their subsequent strive too as Tom Jenkins crossed in what was his second NRL sport.
The Cowboys got here out of the half-time break hungry as they scored two essential tries to lock up the scores.
19-year-old rookie Kulikefu Finefeuiaki crossed for his first NRL strive earlier than one of many sport’s finest finishers in Kyle Feldt planted the ball down within the nook.
Townsend and Cogger nailed their discipline objectives earlier than Drinkwater sealed the consequence.
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DRINKWATER STUNS WITH MATCH-WINNING DOUBLE IN GOLDEN POINT EPIC
Scott Drinkwater led the Cowboys to an exciting golden level win over the Panthers with an outstanding double, together with the match successful strive within the ninetieth minute.
Drinkwater completed with 145 metres, seven sort out busts, a linebreak and two tries, which proved the distinction in an exciting end to an enthralling contest.
Shane Flanagan lauded Drinkwater’s big-moment mentality and skill to give you the proper possibility after he ran the ball on the final play of the evening to keep away from a draw.
“Two brilliant plays the first try to Drinkwater and then the matchwinner was just outstanding,” Flanagan mentioned.
“He had a great game. They got into field position because of the error. The last play from Townsend to Dearden and then across to Drinkwater.
“He was just too fast against a tiring Panthers defence. He got on the outside of Sorensen.
“He is a tryscorer. He loves space and he loves the big moments.”
Fox League professional Michael Ennis believes Drinkwater’s potential to grab the second and probability his arm was the distinction between the perimeters in a tense end.
“That was absolutely not the plan, but in Scott Drinkwater style the X-factor,” he mentioned.
“The gunslinger summed up the moment perfectly.
“Rushing out of the line was Turuva and it just created a staggered line and you just cannot give a guy like Scott Drinkwater a staggered line.
“He just cut them apart with his footwork and his speed and what a fitting moment for Drinkwater.
“He had a brilliant night. I thought him and Tom Dearden were absolutely outstanding tonight.”
RECALLED FELDT’S BIG COWBOYS ‘STATEMENT’
Veteran winger Kyle Feldt was omitted of the Cowboys’ 17 of their Round 14 win over the Storm with new recruit Semi Valemei getting a begin over him on the wing as a substitute.
But with Murray Taulagi out on Origin responsibility, Feldt was recalled into the line-up and produced a efficiency that can make it very onerous for coach Todd Payten to miss him once more.
With slightly below 20 minutes to go, the Cowboys have been trailing 22-18 till Feldt got here up along with his signature end – planting the ball down simply millimetres in from the sideline to lock up the scores.
The 31-year-old completed the sport with a strive help, two linebreaks, 4 sort out busts and a team-high of 232 working metres to go along with his gorgeous strive.
Fox League professional Greg Alexander singled Feldt out as one of many Cowboys’ finest and questioned how Payten can go away him out of the 17 going ahead.
“I thought Kyle Feldt, who looks like he was dropped (in the Cowboys’ last game)… How could you possibly leave a player like Kyle Feldt out of the team?” he mentioned at full-time.
“I know Murray Taulagi is a State of Origin winger but Kyle Feldt was enormous tonight. The work that he did in the last 25 minutes of the game, dragging the Cowboys forward, scoring a remarkable try that Kyle Feldt is renowned for.
“It’ll be interesting to see what (Payten) does with Feldt because I thought he was close to the Cowboys’ best player tonight.”
Alexander put the query to former Cowboy Brent Tate, who mentioned a few of Feldt’s costs have been “inspirational.”
He additionally revealed his Round 14 axing was a “reality check” however suspects Friday’s efficiency will ship a “message” to Payten.
“Sometimes you need a bit of a reality check, you’re not doing some of the little things in the game right and I think that’s probably been Kyle Feldt’s season thus far,” he mentioned.
“But I think he made a real statement here tonight, showing the coach he wants his position back.
“He is a wonderful player — not too many players can finish off the try that he scored. Maybe those last 20 minutes will send a message up to coaches box to Todd Payten.”
PANTHERS’ PRODUCTION LINE PUT TO THE TEST
The State of Origin interval is at all times an enormous check for the Panthers depth and Friday was no totally different.
Penrith’s manufacturing line of expertise seemed like a well-oiled machine within the first half in opposition to the Cowboys because the new-look facet shot out to a 20-12 lead earlier than the break with Jaeman Salmon significantly standing up at five-eighth.
But as coach Ivan Cleary mentioned, lack of resilience in defence and essential errors opened the door for a hungry Cowboys facet to stage a comeback that the inexperienced Panthers couldn’t sustain with.
Cleary admitted it was a “disappointing loss” however believes it was a “good lesson” for the gamers that crammed in.
Penrith have been with out Jarome Luai, Brian To’o, Stephen Crichton and Liam Martin on account of Origin, Nathan Cleary is out by harm and Moses Leota missed the sport for the beginning of his baby.
The likes of Jaeman Salmon, Jack Cogger, Tom Jenkins and Liam Henry crammed the gaps.
“I thought we were in a position to win that game, (but) we opened the door in various ways,” Cleary conceded.
“We obviously got what we got in the end. But I thought at 22-12 we just offered up opportunities and just weren’t resilient enough. Defensively that’s not what we’re really about so I was disappointed with that.”
“There’s no question about our effort and some young guys came up with some really good stuff tonight. But as a group, as a club, we pride ourselves on resilience in defence and just not offering up opportunities.
“It’s a good lesson for those guys but a disappointing loss.”
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TEAMS
Cowboys: 1. Scott Drinkwater 2. Kyle Feldt 3. Zac Laybutt 4. Peta Hiku 5. Semi Valemei 6. Tom Dearden 7. Chad Townsend 8. Jordan McLean 9. Jake Granville 10. Coen Hess 11. Luciano Leilua 12. Heilum Luki 16. Jamayne Taunoa-Brown 13. Jason Taumalolo 14. Sam McIntyre 15. Griffin Neame 17. Kulikefu Finefeuiaki 18. Brendan Elliot
Panthers: 1. Dylan Edwards 2. Sunia Turuva 3. Izack Tago 4. Tyrone Peachey 5. Thomas Jenkins 6. Jaeman Salmon 7. Jack Cogger 16. Spencer Leniu 9. Mitch Kenny 10. James Fisher-Harris 11. Scott Sorensen 12. Zac Hosking 13. Matt Eisenhuth 14. Soni Luke 15. Lindsay Smith 17. Luke Garner 19. Liam Henry 18. Jack Cole
Source: www.foxsports.com.au