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Five Toyota Cowboys made it on to the try-scorers’ list as the Mackay Cutters and Northern Pride both scored narrow Intrust Super Cup victories in round nine, ahead of their first derby game of the season this weekend.

Sam Hoare and Zac Santo crossed for the Cutters, who made it back-to-back wins for the first time in 2014 with a 34-28 success over the CQ Capras in Rockhampton on Anzac Day, while Javid Bowen, who bagged a double at left centre, Robert Lui and Kyle Feldt contributed all of the Pride’s points in a 24-22 win against Souths Logan in Cairns on Saturday night that sent them back to the top of the table.

The Pride, who lost their first game of the season at Ipswich last week, looked comfortable winners with an eight-point lead against the Magpies with just two minutes left.

However, Souths Logan hit back through Leon Panapa to reduce the margin to two, and with the very last play of the game, winger Ramon Filipine looked to have crossed for the match-winning try in the left corner.

Fortunately for the Pride, the touch judge ruled Filipine had put his foot into touch while grounding the ball under pressure from a last-ditch tackle by Pride halfback Sam Obst.

In the first half, Lui set up Bowen for his first try, but the Magpies eventually found their rhythm and took the lead with two quick tries on the half-hour mark.

Another member of the Pride’s Cowboys contingent, hooker Cameron King, made a break that led to Lui’s try and five minutes later the Pride surged into the lead as a superb Lui short pass sent Bowen racing away once again.

The Cairns team looked to have sealed the game on 75 minutes when Kyle Feldt took an Obst crossfield kick, and then converted to make the score 24-16.

In Rockhampton, the Cutters scored three straight tries in the first half, including Hoare’s four-pointer, to take an 18-8 lead into the break after the Capras had dominated the early stages with tries to exciting outside backs Marlon Doak and Marco Delapena.

The first part of the second 40 also belonged to the Capras with a long-range effort from former Titan Smith Samau and further tries to Reece Baker and Mark Johnstone putting the home team in the lead 26-18.

As both teams tired in defence, more and more chances were created and it was the Cutters who landed the knockout blow with two incredible tries under pressure.

Winger Liam Taylor was in the thick of the drama in the enthralling finish, knocking over a sideline conversion to level the score at 28-all before scoring the match-winning try himself after a clever short side raid.

NORTHERN PRIDE 24 (Javid Bowen 2, Kyle Feldt, Robert Lui tries; Kyle Feldt 4 goals) def SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES 22 (Jack Ahearn, Rhys Jacks, Andrew Edwards, Leon Panapa tries; Jordan Rapana 3 goals) at Barlow Park.

MACKAY CUTTERS 34 (Zac Santo, Liam Taylor, Tyson Martin, Brent Warr, Sam Hoare, Chris Gesch tries; Liam Taylor 5 goals) def CQ CAPRAS 28 (Reece Baker, Marlon Doak, Marco Delapena, Smith Samau, Mark Johnstone tries; Brent Crisp 4 goals) at Browne Park.

Acknowledgement of Country

North Queensland Cowboys respect and honour the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on.