Veteran fullback inspires his side to important win against Cronulla.
After earlier this week announcing he would be retiring at the end of the season, some North Queensland fans will be asking fullback Matt Bowen to reconsider.
Bowen was the star of the show on the way to inspiring his side to a crucial 31-18 win against the Cronulla Sharks at Toyota Stadium.
Scoring a try himself and setting up three teammates, Bowen wound back the clock to show he still have the vision and playmaking skill to be a force in the NRL.
Another face that won’t be at the Cowboys next season is current coach Neil Henry, after he was told by the board his services would not be needed for 2014.
Since that news Henry and his side have been undefeated as they poked their noses back into the NRL top eight with one round remaining in the season.
Thanks to their win against the Sharks the Cowboys now have their own fate in in their hands, with victory against the lowly Wests Tigers in round 26 ensuring they will be playing in the post-season.
The loss for the Sharks was further compounded by skipper Paul Gallen being put on report for a crusher tackle on Cowboys prop Scott Bolton, with any suspension to have a big impact on the side so close to the finals.
Jeff Robson opened the scoring for Cronulla when he elected to run the ball on the last tackle, exposing some lax Cowboys’ defence.
Bowen then laid on the next two tries as the away side grabbed the lead, before another try and a penalty attempt saw the scores level at 12 at half-time.
But then the Bowen show kicked into a higher gear as he laid on the final passes for Gavin Cooper and Tariq Sims to see them seal the important victory.
Cronulla slide to sixth on the standings after the loss, with the Shire club out to regain some confidence before the finals when they tackle Canberra on the road.
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