The Canberra Raiders have suffered a 42-4 loss to the North Queensland Cowboys on Saturday night at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville.
Canberra struggled to keep pace with a dominant North Queensland side, as the Cowboys seized control early and maintained their dominance throughout the match.
The Cowboys claimed early points, as halfback Jake Clifford bounced off of hooker Reece Robson to score four minutes into play. Centre Valentine Holmes added the extras, bringing the score to 6-0.
Moments later, Raiders skipper Elliot Whitehead was taken off due to a HIA.
North Queensland capitalised off a set restart, as Holmes sliced through to plant the ball left of the posts. A successful conversion extended the Cowboys lead to 12-0.
Whitehead returned to the field after a HIA assessment, and the momentum shifted as the Raiders regained possession.
At the 27th minute, Canberra successfully used their Captain's Challenge, catching the Cowboys out for a knock-on.
The Green Machine struggled to crack the Cowboys' defensive line until Simi Sasagi collected a Cowboys' dropout.
A swift shift to the left, assisted by Ethan Strange, saw Sebastian Kris skillfully dive in the left corner, securing the try for the Raiders.
Halfback Jamal Fogarty was unable to add the extras, bringing the score to 12-4 with ten minutes remaining in the first half.
The Cowboys responded quickly, with back-to-back tries from winger Kyle Feldt and five-eighth Tom Dearden in the final minutes of the first half.
Holmes added the extras to both, bringing the score to 24-4 as they headed into the sheds.
North Queensland continued to dominate as they carried over their momentum into the second half, which saw Holmes secure a hat-trick. With two conversions, the Cowboys centre extended their lead to 36-4.
Moments later, Whitehead snatched an intercept, and the Cowboys conceded a penalty for a high tackle on Keao Weekes. However, the Raiders were unable to turn this opportunity into points.
The Cowboys executed a quick shift to the right off the scrum, allowing Feldt to cross the line for his second try of the night. Holmes added the extras, pushing the Cowboys lead out to 38 points.
The Canberra Raiders had to rely on their resilient goal-line defense in the final minutes, fending off repeated threats from the Cowboys who were dangerously close to scoring.
As the final whistle blew, the scoreboard reflected a disappointing 42-4 defeat for the Raiders.
The Raiders will look to redeem themselves next week as they return home to face the Penrith Panthers on Saturday afternoon at GIO Stadium, Canberra.
