Cowboys overcome Raiders as Broncos claim Pre-Season Challenge title

A stirring second-half comeback saw the Cowboys run out 36-26 winners over the Raiders on Sunday, in a result which ensured the Broncos claimed the 2024 Pre-Season Challenge title. 

Trailing 14-8 at the break, North Queensland blew the Raiders away with three tries in six minutes early in the second half and then went on with the job to pick up their first win of the pre-season and end Canberra's hopes of claiming the title and $100,000 in prize money that comes with it. 

Veteran winger Kyle Feldt did much of the damage with a hat-trick that will do his hopes of returning to the NRL side on a full-time basis no harm, but there was one major negative to come out of it for the Cowboys as well with forward Coen Hess suffering a possible serious knee injury. 

Prop Thomas Mikaele, who is on a development deal with North Queensland for 2024, put in an eye-catching performance that included scoring twice. 

Despite the loss Canberra may have got a step closer to confirming their five-eighth for Round 1 as Ethan Strange put in a strong showing that which saw him score a try and hold his own defensively, although the teenager will now be sweating on the outcome of a lifting tackle which saw him placed on report and sent to the sin bin midway through the second half. 

After Strange had got things going 11 minutes in, Xavier Savage accepted a gift try from Feldt when he spilled the ball metres from the line.

But with Strange unable to convert either try, the Cowboys halved the deficit with Feldt's try on 20 minutes, before Matthew Timoko got the better of Valentine Holmes for his side's third, which gave Canberra a 14-4 lead.

Zac Laybutt's strike seven minutes from the break meant the sides went to the sheds with the hosts clinging to a 14-8 advantage. 

Two minutes into the second stanza it was all even after Murray Taulagi went 35 metres down the left flank following a Mikaele offload, before the prop got one for himself minutes later to stretch the lead. 

Feldt then grabbed his second before Nick Cotric got one back to restore hope, but only momentarily as Feldt ran in a third to reestablish a 10-point buffer. 

Adam Cook looked could have won it for the Raiders in the closing minutes after he scored a try, which came after Peter Hola battled over, and then broke the line with four to play and the gap just six, but he butchered the ensuing grubber and turned possession over.

In the end Mikaele's second four-pointer, which came via a monster carry that saw him fend off multiple defenders, put the result beyond doubt.