Dragons smash Cowboys 32-18

St George Illawarra centre Matt Cooper put up his hand for a NSW Origin recall with
a superb individual display to lift the Dragons back to the top of the NRL table
with a 32-18 win over North Queensland at WIN Stadium.

Cooper was brilliant in attack and defence as the Dragons terrorised the Cowboys'
right side defence, the elusive centre finishing with two tries including the
match-sealer eight minutes from time after Brett Morris broke free from his own ten
metre line.
The home side scored five tries to three and led 18-6 at halftime.
They took all of three minutes to open with Cooper put into space inside his own
half before brilliantly positioning Morris on the left side for a 6-0 lead.
It could have been two in six minutes save for a desperate Ty Williams intercept,
the Queensland Origin hopeful's try-saver only delaying the onslaught with Cooper
crossing in the tenth minute albeit off what looked a Ben Creagh forward pass.
A Wendell Sailor brain explosion gifted the Cowboys their opening points, the
veteran winger drifting across field before sending a floating ball that was reeled
in by North Queensland centre Ashley Graham.
Sailor attempted to make up for his error with some desperate defence but the
Cowboys spread the ball to take advantage of his exposed wing with Ty Williams
diving over out wide.
Hornby worked a run-around to send Creagh galloping away to re-establish the home
side's 12-point lead, but it was the Cowboys who should have had the running going
into the break only for Travis Burns to knock-on one metre out from the Dragons line
as he looked to pounce on a Jamie Soward spill.
North Queensland did get back into the contest just after the re-start when Luke
O'Donnell capitalised on a Carl Webb bust, O'Donnell running straight through three
defenders in a determined run to the line for 18-12 on 45 minutes.
Webb undid much of his good work with a ruck infringement allowing Soward to take
the lead out to beyond a converted try wit a simple penalty goal, North Queensland's
chances of making not helped with the loss of Matt Bowen just after the hour with a
suspected broken rib.
Tonga did all he could to shut the door on his one-on-one battle with Sailor for the
vacant berth in the Queensland backline as he swivelled past three tackles -
including a weak Sailor effort - to again close the gap to two before Cooper but the
result beyond doubt.