Queensland derby: Thrilling one day, pulsating the next

One of rugby league’s fiercest and most fascinating rivalries resumes at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night when the Brisbane Broncos host the North Queensland Cowboys.

With both sides coming off one-point victories the latest instalment of the Queensland derby is sure to be a beauty, with the Cowboys holding bragging rights after winning both clashes last year.

Given the history of nail-biting finishes between the Broncos and Cowboys it is fitting that both are coming off wins that were iced by premier playmakers Adam Reynolds and Chad Townsend with calmly taken field goals.

Since the Cowboys entered the premiership in 1995, the two Queensland outfits have fought out some epic duels as players who were mates at Origin level for the Maroons became bitter rivals at club level.

The Broncos dominated proceedings for the first nine years before the Cowboys rose up to shed the ‘little brother’ tag thanks to the likes of Paul Bowman, Matt Bowen, Matt Scott and Johnathan Thurston.

On the eve of their round two showdown, NRL.com takes a look back at some epic Broncos-Cowboys clashes.

Derby Dazzlers

2015 grand final… Cowboys 17 def. Broncos 16 at ANZ Stadium

Rugby league theatre doesn’t come any more dramatic than this. After 79 pulsating minutes on a balmy Sydney night, the Broncos looked to have one hand on the premiership trophy as they defended one last Cowboys raid.

With time almost up, Johnathan Thurston headed right and found Michael Morgan, who seemed certain to be rounded up by the cover defence.

As Jack Reed and Anthony Milford closed in and winger Corey Oates and came to help, Morgan produced a stunning flick pass to Kyle Feldt, who planted the ball down in the corner to make it 16-16.

Thurston’s curling conversion struck the upright, the game went to golden point, Ben Hunt spilled the kick-off, the Cowboys set up for a field goal, Thurston did the rest.

One of the best grand finals of the modern era had been decided by one of the best players of the modern era and North Queensland had their maiden premiership.

Round 1, 2007… Cowboys 23 def. Broncos 16 at Suncorp Stadium

Suncorp Stadium was bursting at the seams as 2006 champions Brisbane opened their ’07 campaign with a blockbuster against a Cowboys side led by JT, Matt Bowen and Matt Scott.

The Cowboys were keen to hit the ground running after finishing ninth the previous year and they got the jump to lead 16-6 at the break.

The home side came surging back to level the scores through tries to Karmichael Hunt and Joel Moon before a flash of Bowen brilliance broke the game open.

With six minutes to play, Thurston found his livewire fullback looming in support and the most prolific try-scorer in Cowboys history raced 60 metres to score, raising his arm in triumph as he left Broncos defenders in his wake.

As was so often the case in Cowboys-Broncos games, Thurston then added the finishing touches with a field goal to cap a man of the match display.

It may have been the opening game of the season but the atmosphere created by the 50,417 fans on hand at Suncorp Stadium was every bit as good as a final.

2004 semi-final… Cowboys 10 def. Broncos 0 at Dairy Farmers Stadium

Nine years after entering the competition, the Cowboys finally tasted their first win over Brisbane at their 17th attempt.

And they did it against a Broncos side boasting Gorden Tallis, Darren Lockyer, Brent Tate, Shane Webcke and Corey Parker.

Originally scheduled to be played in Sydney, the NRL chose to move the game to North Queensland with the blessing of the Brisbane Broncos, ensuring a magnificent occasion in Townsville.

"Obviously we're dealing with a complicated situation but ... thanks to the effort of the Aussie Stadium we can announce the game is officially in Townsville," NRL boss David Gallop said at the time.

"The starting point on this is the Broncos got the ball rolling by saying they would like to play the game in Townsville. The next point was the Aussie Stadium people, who said they're agreeable to coming to some arrangement that would see the game moved.”

The Cowboys’ 10-0 win signalled a seismic shift in the battle for Queensland supremacy, with a try to David Myles from a Matt Bowen chip kick midway through the first half enough to get Graham Murray’s team home and end Brisbane’s season.

2016 semi-final… Cowboys 26 def. Broncos 20 at Dairy Farmers Stadium

Another finals epic between the two great rivals unfolded in Townsville and again they had to go to overtime to decide the winner.

The NRL had introduced 10 minutes of extra-time in finals which would be followed by golden point should the deadlock not have been broken.

And that’s exactly where we found ourselves after a stunning second half in which the Cowboys came from eight down to lead by six thanks to a Justin O’Neill double and Johnathan Thurston penalty goal, only for a long-range Corey Oates try to level it up at 20-20 after 80 minutes.

With players from both sides out on their feet in the steamy conditions, it was Thurston who yet again provided the inspiration, getting on the outside of Sam Thaiday and flick passing to Michael Morgan for a try in the 85th minute.

The home side defended the six-point lead through the second period of extra-time to move within one game of another grand final appearance.

Apart from Thurston, who had overcome a stomach bug to lead his men to victory, the Cowboys had many heroes, including a 20-year-old Coen Hess, who ran for 191 metres and made 30 tackles, and rookie winger Kalyn Ponga, serving notice of big things to come in a composed display on debut.

Just 18 at the time, Ponga ran for 233 metres and drew high praise from coach Paul Green, who retained him on the wing for the preliminary final against Cronulla a week later.

Round 4, 2016…. Broncos 21 def. Cowboys 20 at Suncorp Stadium

Coming hot on the heels of the 2015 grand final, this Suncorp Stadium blockbuster was played out in front of 46,176 fans who were treated to yet another high intensity clash between two sides boasting no fewer than 16 Maroons Origin stars between them.

Just when we thought the derby couldn’t pack any more drama into one night, the Broncos and Cowboys took it up another gear, with Anthony Milford emerging as the hero.

A try to Milford and four goals to Corey Parker gave the home side a 12-6 half-time and the goal-kicking back-rower extended the margin to eight with a penalty goal in the 47th minute.

The Cowboys stormed back through Michael Morgan and Ethan Lowe to lead 18-14 before centre James Roberts capped a superb game with a try in the 75th minute which Parker converted for a two-point lead.

More late followed as Johnathan Thurston landed a penalty goal in the final minute to send the game to golden point.

This time it was the Broncos who would have the last laugh but not before the Cowboys looked to have won the game through a Kyle Feldt try, only for Michael Morgan’s pass to be called forward.

With the first five minutes of golden point about to expire, Milford stepped up to nail the eighth field goal of his career, a sweet strike from 40 metres out which send the crowd into a frenzy and helped erase some of the pain of the 2015 grand final defeat.

Round 2, 2012… Cowboys 28 def. Broncos 26 at Suncorp Stadium

The Broncos were riding high after an 18-6 win over Parramatta in round one while the Cowboys down in the dumps after being shut out 18-0 by the Titans in their season opener.

As if so often the case, the form guide went out the window however as Neil Henry’s Cowboys rose to the occasion under the Friday night lights at Suncorp.

The visitors led 16-8 at the break with Matt Bowen at his dazzling best but a pep talk from Anthony Griffin sparked the Broncos into action, two tries in the first eight minutes after the break squaring things up.

When centre Jack Reed produced a peach of a pass to put Gerard Beale over, the Broncos hit the front, only for Bowen to strike back with 25 minutes to play.

Broncos back-rower Ben Te'o crossed with 10 minutes to go to give Brisbane a 26-22 lead but the Cowboys weren’t done.

With the game in the balance it was that man Bowen again stepping up, taking off from the scrum-base 20 metres out and racing away for the 113th try of his glittering career.

Johnathan Thurston’s conversion sailed through the sticks as the full-time siren sounded and it was North Queensland celebrating a memorable victory in yet another pulsating derby.

Round 9, 2021… Cowboys 19 def. Broncos 18 at Queensland Country Bank Stadium

Six years after scoring that try in the 2015 decider, Kyle Feldt came up with a miracle four-pointer in the fourth minute of the match that had to be seen to be believed.

Feldt had been rounded up by three defenders in the corner and was all set to be bundled into touch before showing great strength to not only stay in, but get his arm free and put the ball down.

In a blur of arms and legs, the sight of Feldt’s arm emerging from the pack to get the ball over the line left onlookers gobsmacked, with Fox League’s Greg Alexander declaring, ‘I have never seen anything like that’.

After Feldt’s magic act the game had settled into a familiar Cowboys-Broncos arm wrestle before a spectacular try to Jesse Arthars in the 62nd minute handed the Broncos ascendancy.

Ahead 18-12 and with time running down, the Broncos failed to set for a field goal, leaving the door open for the Cowboys to strike.

Having already run for well over 200 metres, wrecking ball Jason Taumalolo somehow mustered the energy for one last charge, leaving Jamayne Isaako and Jake Turpin in his wake to score under the sticks.

The game went to golden point and this time it was Valentine Holmes playing the role made famous by Johnathan Thurston over many years, slotting a field goal from 25 metres out to hand the Broncos their seventh loss in nine matches to start 2021.

Round 5, 1995... Broncos 20 def. Cowboys 12 at Stockland Stadium

The spectre of Super League loomed large as the first ever Queensland derby kicked off on April 8, 1995 in Townsville.

The Cowboys were yet to win a game in their debut season in the competition, conceding 30 points per game across the opening month.

The Broncos were rolling along at 4-0 after rounds and piling on 30ppg on the back of superstars Willie Carne, Wendell Sailor, Allan Langer, Kevin Walters and Glenn Lazarus.

What looked like a massive mismatch on paper turned out to be anything but as the Cowboys pushed big brother Brisbane all the way before going down 20-12.

Adding to the drama and intrigue, the Cowboys’ founding CEO Kerry Boustead had walked away when it was decided the club would backflip on an agreement to stay loyal to the ARL.

Inaugural coach Grant Bell had agreed to join Super League on the Sunday prior and provided News Limited executives with a list of five Cowboys players who they should make their priority to sign.

"After the Broncos that night there was a whole swag of them that were signed and there were some that weren't," Bell told NRL.com in 2015.

"That's when Martin Bella didn't sign. He signed with the ARL and probably influenced a few other players to sign with the ARL.

"That was the infamous night of Mick O'Connor [from Super League] jumping out of a window to avoid people. He never jumped out of a window to avoid people, he was trying to get through and we had a crowd of people at the front of the stadium door and he was trying to get to a player.

"He was jumping out the window to get into the dressing rooms because there was no access to the dressing rooms after we'd played the Broncos."