Thurston shines as Cowboys go back to back

IT has taken them just over a month, but the North Queensland Cowboys have rediscovered their mojo.

They were too good for Penrith at Pepper Stadium on Monday night with a comprehensive 30-10 victory which followed on from their golden point success over Melbourne last week.

Halfback Johnathan Thurston was integral in the 20-point win, playing a role in all of his side's five tries.

"We got the season off to a slow start but we've turned it around in the last couple of weeks," he said.

The Queensland Origin halfback was full of praise for his forward pack who provided a platform for him to work behind with prop Matt Scott leading the way.

"They're a big side this Penrith pack and we needed to come through the middle third so we can't thank our boys in the middle enough for what they did, it was a great team effort," he said.

The Panthers opened the scoring in the seventh minute through hooker and former Cowboy James Segeyaro who dummied his way over from dummy half.

It appeared to spark the visitors into action as they raced in three tries before half-time to take a handy 16-6 lead to the break.

Second-rower Ethan Lowe extended the lead further just after the resumption with Thurston again providing a perfectly timed pass to send him across untouched.

The Panthers hit back through centre Dean Whare to close the gap to 22-10, before a controversial video referee decision went against Josh Mansour in the 60th minute.

After looking at countless amounts of replays to decide if the winger had lost the ball, video referees Ashley Klein and Henry Perenara ruled he had lost control of the ball attempting to dive over from dummy half.

It appeared to take all the wind out of the Panthers sails as they threatened to come back.

Cowboys halfback Johnathan Thurston added a penalty goal 10 minutes later to extend the lead past two converted tries, before winger Matthew Wright completed his hat-trick in the shadows of full-time.

Thurston said one of the positives to come out of the game was his combination with five-eighth Michael Morgan which would continue to get better.

"I'm still getting used to playing with him, he's still around 90 kilos, but defends well and he's getting better," he said.

Next weekend will see Penrith host the Sea Eagles at home on Saturday, while the Cowboys make it three straight Monday nights when they travel to ANZ Stadium to face the Rabbitohs.

LeagueUnlimited.com Players of the Match:
3 points - Johnathan Thurston
2 points - Matthew Scott
1 point - Matthew Wright

PENRITH PANTHERS (10)
Tries: James Segeyaro, Dean Whare
Conversions: Matt Moylan (1/2)

NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS (30)
Tries: Matthew Wright (3), Lachlan Coote, Ethan Lowe
Conversions: Johnathan Thurston (4/5)
Penalty Goals: Johnathan Thurston (1/1)

We are just minutes away from kickoff here at Pepper Stadium. The rain appears to have gone and we're all set for the final game of a massive Easter Monday of footy!

JT takes the Cowboys onto Pepper Stadium and they head to the southern end of the ground where they will receive first use. They're now joined by the home side. Kick-off imminent!

1: We're underway!

1: Lachlan Coote hit by Segeyaro as he puts boot to ball. Panthers now in possession on their 30.

3: Great play from the Panthers sees Matt Wright swamped by the chasers after Moylan put boot to ball after a first kick and some razzle dazzle. Cowboys dropout.

4: Second-man play from the Panthers sees the ball go loose. Winterstein scoops it up and is pushed back by Idris.

5: Thurston puts a kick in on the last and it finds touch 30m from the Panthers line. Penrith scrum.

6: PENALTY Panthers. Tacklers taking too long to get off the player.

7: TRY PENRITH PANTHERS
Scored by James Segeyaro. Kick to come.
Segeyaro dives over from close range to open the scoring. The hooker fooled everybody by throwing a dummy which the Cowboys fell for and crashed over.

9: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION PENRITH PANTHERS
Conversion attempt by Matt Moylan successful.
Moylan adds the extras from alongside the posts.

10: Wallace gets boot to ball and it deflects into the arms of Coote. Panthers defence strong.

11: Thurston goes to the air and Moylan defuses the situation for the home side.

12: PENALTY Cowboys. Idris the man over-wrestling with the tackled player.

13: TRY NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Scored by Matthew Wright. Kick to come.
Matthew Wright hits straight back for the Cowboys finishing off a sweeping backline movement to the right. Waqa Blake raced out of the line which allowed Moga to draw Mansour and send Wright across untouched.

14: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Conversion attempt by Johnathan Thurston successful.
Thurston adds the extras with a wobbly attempt from out wide that just clears the crossbar, but they all count.

16: The Cowboys kick on the last and it trickles dead. 20m restart.

17: Wallace kicks early in the tackle count and sends DWZ on a chase after the ball sits in the corner. Luckily for the Cowboys, Coote beat DWZ who was there in a hurry.

18: Coote puts boot to ball and it again sails over the dead-ball line. Panthers restart.

18: PENALTY Panthers. Tamou taking too long to get off the tackled player.

19: PENALTY Cowboys. Waqa Blake goes very close to scoring off a Peter Wallace kick, but he's ruled offside.

20: Forward pass from Granville to Taumalolo. Panthers scrum.

21: First tackle the Panthers lose the ball through Mansour. Cowboys back on the attack.

22: VIDEO REFEREE: Possible Cowboys try.

22: TRY NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Scored by Lachlan Coote. Kick to come.
Lachlan Coote puts the visitors in front courtesy of a scrappy try. Thurston grubbered in behind the defence and Moylan slid in, but couldn't hang onto the ball. Coote scooped it up to score.

23: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Conversion attempt by Johnathan Thurston successful.
Thurston adds the extras from alongside the posts.

24: Thurston plugs a kick into the corner and the ball rolls over the sideline. Panthers scrum 15m from their own line.

26: PENALTY Cowboys. Play-the-ball slowed down too much.

27: The Cowboys run the ball on the last and Thurston's pass is ruled forward. Panthers ball.

28: PENALTY Panthers. Ball stripped from the grasp of Blake in a two-man tackle.

28: The ball nearly doesn't find touch, but Moylan is lucky Winterstein had his foot on the sideline before he batted the ball back.

29: The Panthers kick in behind the defence through Koroisau before the Cowboys are accidentally offside. Panthers scrum.

30: Thurston comes up with a one-on-one trysaving tackle on Peachey and forces the ball loose. Cowboys scrum.

32: Some more great defence from the Cowboys again forces an error.

34: PENALTY Panthers. Granville takes too long to get off the tackled player.

35: VIDEO REFEREE: Possible Panthers try.

35: Moylan is ruled to have been held up in a tremendous trysaving tackle from Winterstein and Coote.

36: Kick charged down before JT runs backwards pleading for a call and then taking off downfield.

37: TRY NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Scored by Matthew Wright. Kick to come.
Wright scores out wide to extend the visitors lead after they switched the ball to their right side. Moga again drew Mansour to send his winger across untouched.

39: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Conversion attempt by Johnathan Thurston unsuccessful.
JT misses well to the right from out wide.

40: Halftime at Pepper Stadium and the Cowboys lead the Panthers 16-6.

40: Both sides back out onto Pepper Stadium. Cowboys to kick off, Panthers with first use.

41: Second 40 underway!

41: Koroisau goes to the air and Wright comes up with a good catch before Blake smashes him.

42: Moylan offloads to Watene Zelezniak who comes up with the error with the nearest Cowboys player 30 metres away. Cowboys scrum.

44: Lowe trickles a kick in behind the defence and Moylan scoops up the ball before Scott with the help of Granville swing him back into the in-goal. Panthers dropout.

46: TRY NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Scored by Ethan Lowe. Kick to come.
Again Thurston plays an integral part in a Cowboys try as he holds up the pass to send Lowe across out wide.

47: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Conversion attempt by Johnathan Thurston successful.
Thurston adds another two from next to the posts.

48: Scott drops the ball working it up field. A rare chance here for the home side.

48: PENALTY Panthers. Scott takes too long to get off the tackled player.

49: Plum tries to charge across the line, but the Cowboys hold him up.

49: Wallace chips to the corner and although Blake comes up with the catch he can't get the ball down. Cowboys ball.

50: PENALTY Panthers. Lowe the man ruled to have broken the rules by grabbing the players leg.

52: TRY PENRITH PANTHERS
Scored by Dean Whare. Kick to come.
Whare slices through out wide to close the gap. Segeyaro, Wallace and Moylan combined before the fullback delivered a perfect pass to send Whare across untouched.

53: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION PENRITH PANTHERS
Conversion attempt by Matt Moylan unsuccessful.
Moylan pushes the conversion attempt across the face of the uprights. No goal.

55: PENALTY Panthers. Watene-Zelezniak has the ball stripped in a two-man tackle.

58: Somehow the Panthers get six again after some really scrappy play. Big chance here.

59: PENALTY Panthers. Play-the-ball too slow for referee Cecchin's liking.

60: VIDEO REFEREE: Possible Panthers try.

60: No try. Despite having 20 looks at replay, the video referees have ruled Mansour has lost the ball. Cowboys in possession.

66: Moylan appears to have been taken out contesting the ball, but the refs rule play on.

69: DWZ is pushed back in a three-man tackle with, you guessed it, Thurston leading the way. Panthers dropout.

69: PENALTY Cowboys. Wallace the man guilty of slowing the play-the-ball down.

71: SUCCESSFUL PENALTY GOAL NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Penalty goal attempt by Johnathan Thurston successful.
Thurston puts the visitors out by more than two converted tries.

72: PENALTY Panthers. Two men in the tackle and the ball comes free.

74: TRY NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Scored by Matthew Wright. Kick to come.
Thurston again supplies yet another try on a platter for winger Matthew Wright to complete the hat-trick.

75: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Conversion attempt by Johnathan Thurston successful.
Thurston adds yet another two to his personal tally.

77: Thurston kicks into the Panthers defence and grabs the rebound with his side on the attack again.

79: The boys get a bit restless after Yeo took exception to something that happened in the tackle.

79: PENALTY Cowboys. Yeo penalised for the push which sparked the melee.

80: Fulltime at Pepper Stadium and the Cowboys have proven too good for the Panthers with a 30-10 win.