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Scott Prince and Justin Hodges celebrate the Broncos' win. Source: Ian Hitchcock / Getty Images
VETERAN playmaker Scott Prince overcame one of the most turbulent weeks of his NRL career to keep Brisbane's season alive with a heartstopping 18-16 defeat of the Cowboys on Friday night.
| 3 Tries 3 | |
|---|---|
| Kalifa Faifai Loa 35' | Ben Hunt 5' |
| Gavin Cooper 52' | Corey Oates 14' |
| Matthew Bowen 58' | Justin Hodges 74' |
| 2 Conversions3 | |
| Johnathan Thurston 53' | Scott Prince 6' |
| Johnathan Thurston 59' | Scott Prince 16' |
| Scott Prince 75' | |
In a classic Queensland derby, Prince literally put the boot into the Cowboys, landing a pressure conversion five minutes from time to seal a dramatic triumph in Townsville.
The heartbreaking loss virtually kills off the Cowboys, who must win all of their final six games, and is likely to be the final straw for coach Neil Henry, who is tipped to be sacked next week.
Prince can empathise with Henry's plight. In recent days, the Broncos pivot has learned he is not an integral part of the club's plans for next season, leaving Prince staring at retirement 12 months ahead of schedule.
But last night, the 293-game veteran summoned every ounce of experience to sink the Cowboys - and keep the Broncos' season from flat-lining.
Trailing 16-12 with six minutes to play, Broncos centre Justin Hodges produced a trademark dummy-half snipe to level the scores and hand Prince his shot at glory.
The former Origin playmaker duly delivered, nailing the conversion from a tricky position to break the hearts of his former club.
The Broncos deserved victory. They bolted to a 12-0 lead inside 14 minutes following tries to Ben Hunt and Corey Oates and looked in control as they went to the sheds with a 12-4 advantage.
The Cowboys surged to a 16-12 lead after the break with tries to Gavin Cooper (52nd) and Matt Bowen (58th), but Hodges produced some solo magic to save the Broncos.
The clash effectively doubled as Queensland's version of an NRL grand final with both sides needing to win six of their last seven games to have any hope of making the finals.
Amid rumours and positional reshuffles, the Broncos found some soul. Playing for their season, they bolted out of the blocks, with the Cowboys stumbling in the opening seconds when they failed to defuse the kick-off.
The error was fundamental and they quickly paid a hefty price. Attacking from their own half, new Broncos No.7 Hunt found Oates with a superb cut-out pass and the teenage winger raced upfield before turning the ball inside for Hunt to cross.
The Broncos were rolling at 6-0 after five minutes and when they made it 12-0 inside 14, alarm bells were ringing for the Cowboys, who were looking as flat as week-old lemonade.
Once again, the visitors hit paydirt down the Cowboys' right edge. Hunt ignited a backline movement and strike centre Hodges produced the money ball, throwing a superb bullet pass for Oates to score in the corner on the fly.
Prince then put the boot in literally, landing a booming sideline conversion to give the Broncos a dream start.
For the Cowboys, it was the nightmare opening they could ill-afford. The Broncos were simply executing better, playing with greater enthusiasm and making the Cowboys work harder for field position.
Struggling to stem Brisbane's dominance, the Cowboys clawed their way back, quick hands from Brent Tate putting Kalifa Faifai Loa over in the 35th minute to whittle the deficit at half-time to 12-4.
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