Can Brisbane end its long streak of losses at AAMI Park when it faces Melbourne?
North Queensland got an incredible comeback victory over Manly.
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Melbourne Storm vs. Brisbane Broncos
Team statistics
Game by game
North Queensland Cowboys 28 defeated Manly Sea Eagles 26
A Manly collapse in the second half gave North Queensland a 28-26 victory at Brookvale Oval, but the Cowboys were left counting the cost of a growing number of injuries.
Leading 26-12 with seven minutes to go on Friday night, the Sea Eagles imploded as attempts by Connelly Lemuelu, Reece Robson and an 85-yard effort by Valentine Holmes in the space of four minutes turned the game around. script to make sure Todd Payten’s men returned to Townsville with two points of competition.
However, they will be very marked, with Queensland home contenders Reuben Cotter and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow falling due to injury.
Cotter, who made his Maroons debut with an excellent performance in Origin I, came out of the warm-up with a complaint to the hamstrings.
Team statistics
Tabuai-Fidow, who had been competing with teammate Murray Taualgi to replace Xavier Caotes in the band, missed an HIA.
The 20-year-old was hit in the head when Manly midfielder Morgan Harper slipped on his knees as the Cowboys winger caught a loose ball.
Without the Cotter Talisman, the Cowboys came out of the blocks slowly, with Christian Tuipolotu and Morgan Harper putting the Sea Eagles ahead 10-0 in the 24th minute.
Coen Hess countered a Chad Townsend airstrike with Townsend gathering and kicking Holmes speculatively.
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The Cowboys center-back went down the sidelines and then aimed down to get the first of North Queensland’s first of the night and reduce Manly’s lead at halftime to just four.
Jeremiah Nanai and Tuipolotu exchanged rehearsals and with a reduced advantage, and after losing Kieran Foran to an HIA, Manly needed a moment of inspiration.
It took the form of a 40/20 kick from official hooker Lachlan Croker, who threw a Daly Cherry-Evans scorer to the next to push Manly forward.
Game by game
Croker soon doubled their lead to push the Sea Eagles to 26-12 with 15 minutes to go.
But with a good field position, the Cowboys were able to take advantage of the hosts.
Robson launched himself from close range after a Nanai discharge before Lemulemu backed up a break from Taulagi.
With five minutes to go, Cherry-Evans had the ball untied from her hands after a melee and Holmes grabbed it to run across the field.
Cherry-Evans made a superb strike after 50 minutes with a shot straight in front of the goal after a long ball through the middle, but one of the visitors’ defenders got a foot in at the last second and warded it off for a corner.
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Posted 2 hours, 2 hours ago, Friday, June 17, 2022 at 7:58 AM, updated 29 minutes ago, 29 minutes ago, Friday, June 17, 2022 at 10:27 AM