The North Queensland Toyota Cowboys under-20s have put on an attacking masterclass with a 54-6 round 13 NYC win over Parramatta in suburban Sydney on Saturday afternoon.
The young Cowboys piled on 10 tries to one in one of their best all-around performances of 2015 to leap-frog Brisbane into second place on the competition ladder heading into a bye round.
Todd Payten’s charges now have a nine-win, three-loss, one-draw record after 13 matches, and a +221 for-and-against record, making them the runaway leader in that category for the NYC.
After scoring the first three tries – all converted – the Cowboys conceded their only try of the match at the 24-minute mark, before speedy winger Gideon Mosby scored the second of his four tries in the 30th minute.
That 40m intercept was to be the last scoring play of the first half, and the teams went into the break with the Cowboys comfortable 24-6 leaders.
Halfback and chief organiser Cooper Bambling was on song with his boot early, with the talented No. 7 successful in his first seven conversion attempts.
The second half saw the Cowboys cross for six unanswered tries, with Mosby getting his third and fourth, which were both sublime individual efforts – one from close range, and the other an 80m special.
Fullback Yamba Bowie, utility Kyle Laybutt and props Viliame Kikau and Braden Uele all also posted second-half seven pointers.
Uele’s try went through seven sets of hands to cap a fantastic team effort for the Cowboys.
Aside from Mosby’s first-half double, second-rower Bill Cullen and winger Scott Schulte also kept the scoreboard attendant busy.
Payten said he was overjoyed at the team putting on such a complete team performance against a lower-ranked opponent.
‘We knew they had size in their forwards and that they would try to use power to try and overwhelm us, but we largely held firm in defence and were then able to play some wonderful attacking rugby league with the ball in hand,” he said.
While praising his team 1-through-17, Payten gave special mention to four-try hero Mosby, Laybutt, reserve forward Jordan Kenworthy and second-rower Temone Power, who continues to impress in just his third NYC game.
With the club having the bye in round 14, the young Cowboys now have two weeks until their next match – against the Raiders in Canberra on 20 June – with the squad available to go back to the Townsville and Districts Rugby League competition.
North Queensland Toyota Cowboys 54 (Gideon Mosby 4, Scott Schulte, Bill Cullen, Yamba Bowie, Kyle Laybutt, Braden Uele, Viliame Kikau tries; Cooper Bambling 7 goals) def Parramatta Eels 6 (Bevan French try; Nathan Davis goal) at McCredie Oval.
