The North Queensland Toyota Cowboys have posted their fourth NYC win of the season tonight after a 14-point victory over the South Sydney Rabbitohs at ANZ Stadium.
Sam Smith had a memorable debut for the visitors, scoring a double in the 38-24 victory.
At their home ground Souths tried to play some creative football in the early moments of the match starting with a short kick-off.
It didn’t take them long to exploit the Cowboys defence after a dropped ball handed them perfect position.
Rabbitohs captain Aaron Booth split the defensive wall and found Liam Coleman to go under the posts.
However, as he has done so often this season, Brandon Smith outwitted the defence to score another from dummy half.
By the 10-minute mark Coen Hess levelled the game at 6-6.
The Cowboys forward pack was proving hard to handle for the home side as they rolled up the park from the kick-off.
First it was Braden Uele with a barnstorming run before Viliame Kikau piggy-backed five South Sydney players across the line for the Cowboys to take the lead 12 minutes in.
Hess again made it an easy kick for two.
After a frustrating middle period, the Cowboys backline clicked into gear as Sam Smith beat a covering tackle and tiptoed down the line to dive into the corner and hand them a 16-6 lead with 15 to go.
That margin was reduced when Akeripa Tia Kilifi was caught out in defence letting Haimona Hiroti slip through.
There were still points to come before the half was out.
After Gideon Mosby was put into touch only metres from the line, the Cowboys then won the ball from the scrum and on the third tackle, Yamba Bowie showed beautiful footwork to beat three defenders and score to give the visitors a handy 20-12 lead at the main break.
Souths struck back straight after the break, before Ty Carucci had to wrestle his way over their line and give them more breathing space.
After conceding nine penalties in the first half, the Cowboys curbed their discipline but Souths continued to chip away at the deficit.
Gideon Mosby, Smith and Bowie all scored in the second as the Cowboys ensured they’d return home with the points.
COWBOYS 38: Brandon Smith, Viliame Kikau, Sam Smith 2, Ty Carucci, Yamba Bowie 2, Gideon Mosby tries; Coen Hess 3/6, Cooper Bambling 0/2.
RABBITOHS 24: Liam Coleman, Haimona Hiroti, Aaron Booth, Dominic Timoteo tries; Jordie Hedges 4/4.
