North Queensland have seen off a spirited challenge by St George Illawarra 31-12 at home to win their 10th game of the season and cement themselves in the competition’s top four.
The Cowboys have a knack of turning up their defensive intensity in second halves and held their opposition to just the one try in the second stanza.
Their 46 points conceded in second halves through 14 rounds this season is the NRL’s best.
Cowboys tries to Connelly Lemuelu and Murray Taulagi at the beginning and end of the second half capped off an error-strewn evening, the home side still well in control however after they’d added three tries to one in the first stanza.
