NORTH QUEENSLAND 36
PENRITH 28
By STEVE MASCORD
Penrith Stadium
IF EVER one game was a microcosm for half a season of unpredictability, desperation, unlikelihoods and sheer weird-ness across an entire competition, it was played last night at Penrith Stadium.
Penrith scored five tries to lead North Queensland 26-0 at half-time. North Queensland then proceeded to score seven and win 36-28. No, really.
“Somebody pinch me,” Cowboys coach Tim Sheens said as he walked into a post-match media conference.
Like his 19 counterparts and hundreds of thousands of spectators, television viewers and office tipsters, Sheens thought the vagaries of this topsy-turvy season had already driven him past the point of distraction.
The Cowboys had beaten the ARL premiers, been flogged by the Super League premiers, and beaten Parramatta away with 12 men.
But last night . . . nothing could prepare him for the biggest comeback in the recent history of first-class league, anywhere in the world.
His opponent, Royce Simmons, was even less prepared.
“We missed four tackles in the first half, 25 in the second,” he said, more stunned than upset.
“We completed 19 sets of six in the first half, three in the second half.
“It’s not nice when your own crowd boos you off. The last time it happened, I think I was playing . . . back in the early eighties.”
Here’s how it happened:
Penrith captain Ryan Girdler and makeshift halfback Darren Brown towered over the first half, scoring four of the five touchdowns.
Cowboys centre Noa Nadruku, who bombed a sitter of a try in the second minute, then scored one, was involved in another, scored another, watched five-eighth Andrew Dunemann and winger Mark Shipway cross for one each and bagged the match-winner himself.
Then Dunemann scored again. Dunemann (high tackle) and Cowboys replacement John Doyle (lifting) were reported. Penrith’s Mark Geyer had x-rays on his neck after feeling pins-and-needles down his arm.
As for why it happened, wise up. Most league fans stopped asking that weeks ago.
NORTH QUEENSLAND 36 (N Nadruku 3 A Dunemann 2 R Mercy M Shipway tries J Hannay 4 goals) bt PENRITH 28 (D Brown 2 R Girdler 2 P Jorgensen tries R Girdler 4 goals) at Penrith Stadium. Referee: M Oaten. Crowd: 8,685.
Sydney Morning Herald, Saturday, May 30 1998.
