Scott Drinkwater has broken Manly’s home winning streak at Brookvale, slotting a dramatic golden point field goal to seal a 19-18 victory for the North Queensland Cowboys.
The Sea Eagles had not lost at home since round four before the Cowboys spoiled the party with a second-half comeback.
The Cowboys celebrate their victory. Jason McCawley
A double from Braidon Burns and a late four-pointer from Reuben Cotter dragged North Queensland back into the contest to level the scores.
Jake Clifford had an opportunity to win the match after Cotter’s late try, but his conversion drifted wide with just two minutes remaining on the clock.
Both team kickers struggled off the tee in the game, each managing just a single conversion from their team’s four tries.
But Drinkwater stepped up when it mattered most. Catching the Manly defence off guard in extra time, the fullback snapped the match-winning point to secure a vital win.
The victory propels the Cowboys into the top eight as they march on to face the Dolphins next Sunday.
“I walked up and I saw (Manly’s) setup and they weren’t ready for it. I think they had (Ethan) Bullemor up front here and just Jake (Trbojevic), so … I thought that was a perfect opportunity,” Drinkwater said to Nine.
“I’m just happy we got our next job. Our first hit of the ball in golden point, we didn’t look like a flat team at all, and we went after the challenge and got the win.”
Manly coach Kieran Foran knew his team “should have managed” the game better in the second half to stave off the Cowboy’s late resurgence.
“They were gutsy throughout the contest, but we just should have managed the game a bit better in the second half,” he said in the post-game press conference.
“Positive play, then followed by one negative play. It’s disappointing.”
The Sea Eagles will look to regroup before their game next Sunday against the Titans.