Cowboys beat the Sharks in a Townsville shootout

Author: Sharks Media
Timestamp: Fri 24 Apr 2026, 08:26 PM

The Sharks scored 34 points, but ultimately it wasn’t enough, the Cowboys crossing for nine tries in a point scoring shootout in Townsville.

While their attack produced six four pointers and enough points to win most games, the Sharks defence struggled to contain a free-running North Queensland side, with the Cowboys claiming a 46-34 victory at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.

Despite giving up the first score of the night, Scott Drinkwater slicing through on the Sharks left hand side, the Cronulla side responded when Siosifa Talakai brushed aside would-be tacklers to level the scores.

The visiting Sharks would go ahead 12-6 when Talakai added a second only two minutes later, giving his team a converted try advantage, but as good as their attack was, the defense on the night was disappointing.

From the 14th minute onwards, the Cowboys scored four tries, taking a 26-12 advantage to the half-time break.

In a match where the Cowboys would have been pleased to earn the two competition points but equally frustrated by their defensive efforts, the Sharks ate into their opponents lead, a Blayke Brailey try from an Oregan Kaufusi off-load, and two tries wide out to KL Iro, with a Murray Taulagi four-pointer to North Queensland in-between, had the Cronulla team behind by 30-28 with still 20 minutes of the match remaining.

A soft dummy half try from Cowboy Soni Luke again gave the home team some breathing space, before Tom Dearden went through untouched from close range six minutes from full time to seal the result.

Iro would cross for a third inside the final five minutes, but it was too little, too late for the Sharks who now return home for a match against the West Tigers with a three win-four loss record.

That round nine match is scheduled for a 4pm kick off at Ocean Protect Stadium on Sunday.

Round 8 - Round 8 - Friday 24 Apr

Full Time

Cowboys

Sharks

Team Lists

Backs

Fullback for Cowboys is number 1 Scott Drinkwater

Fullback for Sharks is number 1 William Kennedy
Winger for Cowboys is number 2 Braidon Burns

Winger for Sharks is number 2 Mawene Hiroti
Centre for Cowboys is number 3 Jaxon Purdue

Centre for Sharks is number 3 Siosifa Talakai
Centre for Cowboys is number 4 Tom Chester

Centre for Sharks is number 4 KL Iro
Winger for Cowboys is number 5 Murray Taulagi

Winger for Sharks is number 5 Samuel Stonestreet
Five-Eighth for Cowboys is number 6 Jake Clifford

Five-Eighth for Sharks is number 6 Braydon Trindall
Halfback for Cowboys is number 7 Tom Dearden

Halfback for Sharks is number 7 Nicholas Hynes

Forwards

Prop for Cowboys is number 8 Coen Hess

Prop for Sharks is number 8 Addin Fonua-Blake
Hooker for Cowboys is number 9 Reed Mahoney

Hooker for Sharks is number 9 Blayke Brailey
Prop for Cowboys is number 10 Jason Taumalolo

Prop for Sharks is number 10 Toby Rudolf
2nd Row for Cowboys is number 11 Heilum Luki

2nd Row for Sharks is number 11 Billy Burns
2nd Row for Cowboys is number 16 Thomas Mikaele

2nd Row for Sharks is number 12 Teig Wilton
Lock for Cowboys is number 13 Reuben Cotter

Lock for Sharks is number 13 Jesse Colquhoun

Interchange

Interchange for Cowboys is number 12 Jeremiah Nanai

Interchange for Sharks is number 14 Briton Nikora
Interchange for Cowboys is number 14 Soni Luke

Interchange for Sharks is number 15 Cameron McInnes
Interchange for Cowboys is number 17 Griffin Neame

Interchange for Sharks is number 16 Oregon Kaufusi
Interchange for Cowboys is number 18 Matthew Lodge

Interchange for Sharks is number 17 Thomas Hazelton

Reserves

Reserve for Cowboys is number 15 Sam McIntyre

Reserve for Sharks is number 18 Hohepa Puru
Reserve for Cowboys is number 20 Zac Laybutt

Reserve for Sharks is number 20 Riley Jones