NRL: Cowboys turn tables with 74-0 demolition of Tigers

The North Queensland Cowboys took their shocking thrashing at the hands of the Wests Tigers earlier in the 2023 NRL premiership season.

The Tigers defeated the Cowboys 66-18 at Leichhardt Oval in Round 12, damaging North Queensland Cowboys’ premiership hopes.

Since then, the Cowboys have turned things around, winning against the Panthers, Storm, and Rabbitohs in their last three matches.

Their positive momentum continued as they dominated the Wests Tigers in Townsville, winning with an astounding scoreline of 74-0 and scoring 13 tries.

In the first half, the Cowboys scored seven tries and led 42-0 at halftime, showcasing an exceptional display of dominance.

Tom Dearden, the team’s five-eighth, opened the scoring in the 14th minute, and the floodgates opened.

Dearden and fullback Scott Drinkwater led the charge, tearing through the Tigers’ defense, with Drinkwater scoring a double in the first half.

Semi Valemei, Luciano Leilua, Murray Taulagi, and Valentine Holmes also contributed tries in the first half.

Leilua muscles his way over 💪 #NRLCowboysTigers pic.twitter.com/aWrhvbmQar

— NRL (@NRL) July 1, 2023

Yvonne Sampson from Fox League noted that North Queensland seemed to have taken the defeat personally and aimed to surpass the 66-point mark.

Cooper Cronk described it as the most one-sided 40 minutes he had ever witnessed, as the Cowboys converted the emotions from their previous loss into an avalanche of tries.

To worsen the Tigers’ plight, they were down to 12 men when Alex Twal was sin-binned for a hip drop tackle on Leilua.

The onslaught continued in the second half as the Cowboys reached 50, 60, and eventually surpassed 70 points, while the Tigers remained scoreless.

Murray Taulagi completed a hat-trick, and Holmes, Valemei, and Drinkwater scored doubles.

Jeremiah Nanai and Jordan McLean also joined in with late tries.

Jeremiah Nanai leaps over 🤠 #NRLCowboysTigers pic.twitter.com/zVmWVVxLKg

— NRL (@NRL) July 1, 2023

This victory marked the largest scoreline in Australian rugby league since 1935 and the third biggest of all time, surpassing the NRL-era record.

The Cowboys’ 74-point winning margin, combined with the Tigers’ 48-point losing margin earlier in the year, resulted in a remarkable 122-point turnaround between the teams.

The previous record for a reversal in results was a 106-point swing between the Dragons and Storm in 2000.

Drinkwater expressed satisfaction with the revenge, acknowledging that the previous defeat motivated them throughout the week.

With 30 points (two tries and 11 successful conversions), Holmes set a new record for the most points scored by a Cowboys player in an NRL game.

This surpassed the previous records held by Johnathan Thurston (achieved twice in 2006) and Josh Hannay (2003), both at 24 points.

The Cowboys’ previous largest winning margin also came against the Tigers, with a 58-point victory in 2014.

The team song hits different after a 74-0 win! 🤠 #NRLCowboysTigers pic.twitter.com/PpO8mwRqHq

— TAB (@tabcomau) July 1, 2023

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