NRL: Cowboys silence Panthers with shock win in Round 5

North Queensland pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season on Friday night, toppling reigning premiers Penrith 22-18 in a gritty performance at CommBank Stadium.

The Cowboys withstood a late Panthers surge and some brutal physical exchanges — including a bone-rattling hit from Coen Hess on Nathan Cleary — to record back-to-back wins and hand Penrith a fourth straight defeat.

Todd Payten’s men trailed 18-12 at the break but blanked the Panthers in the second half, with fullback Scott Drinkwater and five-eighth Tom Dearden combining superbly.

Rising teenage star Jaxon Purdue also impressed, scoring a try and helping turn the game with a long break in the lead-up to Murray Taulagi’s second.

Dearden’s pinpoint cross-field kick led to the go-ahead try, as Tago fumbled in-goal under pressure.

From there, the Cowboys hung on through sheer effort as the $4.25 outsiders with the top NRL betting sites.

Reece Robson was sin-binned in the first half for a high shot on Daine Laurie, a decision that sparked debate, while Izack Tago also spent time in the bin for a late high tackle on Taulagi.

NRL Round 5 Highlights: Panthers v Cowboys

Despite playing a man down twice, the Cowboys still managed to win the 10-minute periods 6-0.

Penrith had their chances, and almost snatched it late through Paul Alamoti, only for the Bunker to rule his foot touched the touch-in-goal line before grounding the ball.

Isaah Yeo was honoured in his 250th game, but the milestone was soured by a lacklustre finish from the Panthers, who now sit 1-4 and 14th on the ladder.

Cleary tried to spark something late but was pressured into errors, while post-match Ivan Cleary admitted the team lacked rhythm and cohesion.

“We’re just making things look hard right now,” he said.

Payten hailed his side’s resilience. “

Back-to-back gritty wins. The boys just kept turning up. I’m really proud of them,” he said.

North Queensland’s defensive resolve shone through as they kept Penrith scoreless in the second half — something few sides have done in the Cleary era.

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