The North Queensland Toyota Cowboys Under-20s have routed the Cronulla Sharks 56-10 in their round 16 NYC match at 1300SMILES Stadium this afternoon.
Todd Payten’s young charges had scoring firepower all over the paddock, the 11 tries-to-two thumping the team’s fifth straight win as the Cowboys bed down in the NYC top two with their 11th win of the season.
The North Queensland team conceded the second try of the match and the opening try of the second half, but apart from those two hiccups, it was an unabated scoring fest as the home side turned a dominant 30-4 first stanza into the compelling final scoreline.
Payten tinkered with his lineup heading into the match, with impressive utility Kyle Laybutt promoted to starting five-eighth and regular pivot Ty Carucci moving to fullback for the injured Yamba Bowie (hamstring).
That positional change seemed to work wonders, with Laybutt’s calm decision-making in attack and searching kicks in general play wreaking havoc on the Sharks defence.
Laybutt scored his side’s final try to cap off a strong game, his combination with halfback Cooper Bambling sure to have impressed Payten.
Prop Braden Uele was also a standout for the Cowboys, the big New Zealand product scoring a double, including an athletic chargedown, regather and sprint to the line.
Hard-running interchange forward Jordan Kenworthy also crossed twice, as did flying winger Gideon Mosby, who has 21 tries from 14 games this season.
The Cowboys will be eyeing six wins on the trot when they head south next weekend for the round 17 match with the Dragons, who have just three wins this season.
North Queensland Toyota Cowboys 56 (Braden Uele 2, Jordan Kenworthy 2, Gideon Mosby 2, Andrew Niemoeller, Scott Schulte, Temone Power, Ty Carucci, Kyle Laybutt tries; Cooper Bambling 6 goals) def Cronulla Sharks 10 (Jamayne Isaako, Jaden Clarke tries; Isaako goal) at 1300SMILES Stadium.
