The North Queensland Toyota Cowboys Under-20s side have rocketed into the top four on the National Youth Competition ladder with a stunning 40-4 win over the Parramatta Eels.
The seven-tries-to-one blitz was set up by a 32-0 first half and comes just six weeks after the Eels ran rampant against the Cowboys in Townsville.
The scoreline was 60-12 on that occasion, that loss sparking a four-match dry spell for the Cowboys.
Today’s stunning reversal at a sodden Ringrose Park in Wentworthville marks an 84-point turnaround.
The Cowboys outside backs did all of the scoring with winger Michael Carroll posting a hat-trick, while wing partner Murray Taulagi and centre Kurt Wiltshire scored doubles.
Taulagi (three) and Carroll (two) shared the goalkicking duties, while fullback Kalyn Ponga kicked a second-half penalty.
The triumph has propelled Aaron Payne's young men from sixth to fourth on the competition ladder, the team eight wins and five losses at the halfway point of their 2017 NYC campaign.
NORTH QUEENSLAND TOYOTA COWBOYS NYC 40 (Michael Carroll 3, Murray Taulagi 2, Kurt Wiltshire 2; Taulagi 3, Carroll 2 goals; Kalyn Ponga pen. goal) def PARRAMATTA EELS NYC 4 at Ringrose Park, Wentworthville.
