The Easts Tigers versus Ipswich Jets match produced the battle of the fullbacks.
In the orange corner Scott Drinkwater - the tackle-breaking Tiger - while in the green corner Michael Purcell, the Jet with the instinctive appetite for tries.
The two No.1s would decide this game.
It took 11 minutes for Billy Walters to show his football smarts when the Tigers were awarded a penalty 60 metres out.
The Jets turned their backs to walk back and watch Walters take the kick but instead Walters was gone running to score his fifth try this season and add the two points.
The Tigers had their dream start 6-0.
That man Drinkwater landed the first blow against Purcell by throwing a flat pass straight to the Tigers' leading try-scorer Linc Port, who held his line and scored his 11th try for the Tigers in 2018.
The Tigers were flying at 10-0.
Purcell observed the early carnage and responded with his own blow, drifting across field and spotting two defenders who had switched off, slicing through the line to score his 42nd try for the Jets in just 47 games.
Drinkwater did it all himself next when he was awarded a penalty, sensed the Jets were not ready and took the tap to score a shrewd try.
That made it 16-6 to the Tigers.
Attacking their own line, the Tigers went to their left and Shane Neumann made up for an earlier error over the line by grounding it this time under a pile of Jets defenders.
Then it was Purcell again. After a great Rowan Winterfield offload, Purcell was under the posts for his second try.
At halftime the Tigers led 22-12. The Jets had missed fewer tackles than the Tigers but Easts had taken their chances.
The Tigers started the second half with two points and Walters took the lead to 26-12.
Walters again made sure the Tigers were not coming away without points when he took the next two points offered to him and the Tigers now had a four-point lead; 28-12 with 30 minutes to go.
The Jets had chances in the second half but Drinkwater continued to turn the Jets away with his anticipation at the back.
It was Purcell's turn to work off the ball when the Tigers went to the far side and Linc Port was denied a try from great cover defence from Purcell.
Wes Conlon from Ipswich found space getting out of dummy-half and on the Jets' right and found Jayden Connors to score.
The Jets were coming back at 26-18 with 10 minutes to go.
The score did not stay that for long, from the next set it was Connors again who went through the defence and veered left to find Dane Phillips, who turned it inside for a flying Purcell.
Purcell had his third try and the Jets were down by 26-24 with nine minutes to go.
For the next nine minutes both sides threatened to end the game, yet errors and wrong options kept the result in doubt.
In the end, the Tigers won 26-24 to continue their run of wins at Ipswich; with the Jets not beating the Tigers at home since 2015.
Drinkwater won the Hastings Deering Man of the Match to take the points in the battle of the fullbacks.
Final team lists and full scoring details available on QRL Live.
Next Friday Ipswich plays the Mackay Cutters at 7.30pm at BB Print Stadium Mackay, while Easts hosts the Northern Pride 4pm Saturday at Suzuki Stadium Langlands Park.
EASTS TIGERS 26 (Billy Walters, Linc Port, Scott Drinkwater, Shane Neumann tries; Billy Walters 5 goals) def IPSWICH JETS 24 (Michael Purcell 3, Jayden Connors tries; Marmin Barba 2, Wes Conlon 2 goals) at North Ipswich Reserve.
