The North Queensland Toyota Cowboys have opened the scoresheet with new feeder club Townsville Blackhawks with a 24-12 trial win in front of a rain-soaked crowd at Jack Manski Oval in Townsville.
A heavy shower before kick off made for slow going and it wasn't until the 12-minute mark that former Cowboy Michael Parker-Walshe scored for the Blackhawks close to the posts after handling errors from the Cowboys.
Cowboys winger Javid Bowen struck back with a try in the corner with only 20 seconds left in the first quarter, taking the scores 6-4 into the quarter-time break.
Back in the second quarter and a runaway try from Mitchell Seri put the Blackhawks ahead 12-4, before Cowboys hooker Cameron King crossed and his try was converted by Kyle Feldt to go into half time 12-10.
Driving rain was a feature for the final two quarters of the game making handling almost impossible.
Only one try was scored in the third term and that was to Cowboys winger Kyle Feldt who missed the conversion leaving the Cowboys ahead by two at the end of the quarter.
The final term was all Cowboys who handled the dreadful conditions better with two tries scored by NYC players Andrew Niemoeller and Viliame Kikau.
Cooper Bambling took over the conversion duties and kicked one from two.
Cowboys 24 (Javid Bowen, Cameron King, Kyle Feldt, Andrew Niemoeller, Viliame Kikau tries; Kyle Feldt, Cooper Bambling goals) d Townsville Blackhawks 12 (Michael Parker-Walshe, Mitchell Seri tries; Mitchell Seri 2 goals).
