The Dyldam Parramatta Eels Holden Cup side has gone down to a red-hot North Queensland Cowboys outfit 50-6 at 1300Smiles Stadium.
The home side came out of the blocks firing and never looked back, claiming an nine tries to one victory.
The game began with some poor attacking options from both sides, failing to complete sets for the opening ten minutes.
The Cowboys opened their scoring account with winger Scott Schulte scoring from a shift in play to the right, with halfback Cooper Bambling converting the try.
North Queensland prop Viliame Kikau scored two tries in five minutes after scoring under the posts from a high cross field kick and then burrowing over the line in the 17th minute.
The Eels returned fire after Abbas Miski diffused a high bomb from the Cowboys and making a line break, before offloading to fullback Bevan French who ran 70 metres to score.
Halfback Zach Dockar-Clay nailed the conversion from right in front of the posts.
The remainder of the first half saw nothing go the visitors’ way - as handling errors saw the Eels’ attacking options fail to convert to points on three occasions.
Cowboys left-winger Gideon Gela-Mosby scored a long-range try after picking up a loose Eels ball, with Bambling missing the conversion attempt.
Forward Brandon Smith added another for the home side after dummying over the tryline in the 36th minute, bringing the halftime score to 28-6.
The teams traded sets for the first ten minutes of the second half, before Bambling scored a try of his own, converting it to extend the Cowboys’ lead.
Five-eighth Kyle Laybutt showed some impressive footwork to score another try in the 53rd minute, and attempted to convert his own try, but was wide with the kick.
Jordan Kenworthy scored a try from a big run, with Laybutt successful with his second conversion attempt of the night.
Hooker and Cowboys captain Andrew Niemoeller scored a late try down the short side to finish the game.
The Eels take on the 14th-ranked Gold Coast Titans next Monday night, August 3 at Cbus Super Stadium.
North Queensland Cowboys 50 (Kikau 2, Schulte, Gela-Mosby, Smith, Bambling, Laybutt, Kenworthy, Niemoeller tries, Bambling 5 goals, Laybutt 2 goals)
def.
Dyldam Parramatta Eels 6 (French try, Dockar-Clay goal)
