North Queensland Cowboys v Wests Tigers

NRLRound 26

Full time

North Queensland Cowboys

24–10

Wests Tigers

Match events

North Queensland CowboysWests Tigers

8Half time10

Team stats

50%Possession50%

70%28/40Completion Rate82%32/39

1620All Run Metres1449

4Line Breaks1

316Tackles Made323

15Errors6

5Penalties Conceded11

Tries: Cowboys: Tom Chester 6', Heilum Luki 53', Jaxon Purdue 58', Tom Chester 78' | Wests Tigers: Jeral Skelton 11', Junior Tupou 30'
Conversions: Cowboys: Scott Drinkwater 7', Scott Drinkwater 55', Scott Drinkwater 60' (3/4) | Wests Tigers: Jock Madden 12' (1/2)
Penalty goals: Cowboys: Scott Drinkwater 22' (1/1)
Most Tackles: Reuben Cotter (Cowboys) 51 | Apisai Koroisau (Wests Tigers) 49
Most Run Metres: Jason Taumalolo (Cowboys) 190 | Patrick Herbert (Wests Tigers) 139
Most Line Breaks: Tom Chester (Cowboys) 2 | Junior Tupou (Wests Tigers) 1
Most Fantasy Points: Jason Taumalolo (Cowboys) 60 | Terrell May (Wests Tigers) 68
Try scorers: Tom Chester (Cowboys) 2, Jaxon Purdue (Cowboys) 1, Heilum Luki (Cowboys) 1, Junior Tupou (Wests Tigers) 1, (Wests Tigers) 1

1st half

Kick off
Captain's challengeCowboys captain's challenge: Successful
5'
TryTom Chester
6'4–0
ConversionScott Drinkwater
7'6–0
11'6–4
TryJeral Skelton
12'6–6

2nd half

40'
HIATony Sukkar HIA Cleared
TryHeilum Luki
53'12–10
ConversionScott Drinkwater
55'14–10
TryJaxon Purdue
58'18–10
ConversionScott Drinkwater

Scoring progression

Cowboys aheadWests Tigers ahead

Biggest lead: Cowboys 14Wests Tigers 2
Lead changes: 2
Final margin: Cowboys by 14

Team stats

CowboysWests Tigers

50%Possession %50%
70% (28/40)Completion rate82% (32/39)
1620All run metres1449
575Post contact metres544
4Line breaks1
34Tackle breaks24
369Kicking metres606
316

Key leaders

Run metres

Tackles

Line breaks

Tackle breaks

Points

Try assists

Post-contact metres

NRL Fantasy

Player stats

Player
10Jason TaumaloloProp	52	190	23	0	0	4	2	0	0	60	16	85	0	0	30	0	96	20	0	0	1
4Tom ChesterCentre	80	178	12	4	2	2	1	2	8	52	18	67	0	0	30	0	67	18	0	1	0
15Thomas MikaeleInterchange	58	164	26	0	0	3	2	0	0	50	15	82	0	0	11	0	96	17	0	2	0
2Braidon BurnsWinger	80	156	5	1	0	0	2	0	0	20	16	62	0	0	20	0	71	21	0	2	1
11Heilum Luki2nd Row	80	143	23	2	1	4	0	1	4	51	16	51	0	0	0	0	92	17	0	1	1
17Coen HessInterchange	45	102	27	3	0	0	0	0	0	31	9	43	0	0	10	0	87	9	0	0	0
1Scott DrinkwaterFullback	80	92	7	1	0	8	1	0	8	57	16	26	2	1	39	42	88	53	4/4	1	0
3Jaxon PurdueCentre	80	92	20	1	0	3	2	1	4	46	13	27	0	0	0	0	95	17	0	0	1
13Reuben CotterLock	80	88	51	4	0	1	0	0	0	49	11	34	0	0	0	0	91	13	0	2	0
12Jeremiah Nanai2nd Row	67	78	32	1	0	2	0	0	0	43	8	16	0	0	0	0	97	10	0	1	0
19Ethan KingInterchange	46	65	2	0	0	3	0	0	0	10	7	20	0	0	0	0	100	9	0	2	0
6Jake CliffordFive-Eighth	80	61	16	2	1	1	0	0	0	32	6	12	0	0	0	241	89	31	0/1	2	0
7Tom DeardenHalfback	80	52	16	1	0	1	0	0	0	39	11	7	2	2	0	39	94	51	0	0	0
9Reed MahoneyHooker	65	50	35	1	0	2	0	0	0	41	5	9	0	0	0	46	95	81	0	1	0
5Zac LaybuttWinger	34	45	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	5	12	0	0	0	0	75	8	0	0	1
8Griffin NeameProp	17	39	14	2	0	0	0	0	0	12	4	7	0	0	15	0	88	4	0	0	0
14Soni LukeInterchange	15	20	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	2	10	0	0	0	0	100	26	0	0	0
16John BatemanReserve	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
18Kai O'DonnellReserve	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Tap a column to sort. Bold is the team's best. Mins minutes played · Run m all run metres · Tkl tackles made · Miss missed tackles · LB line breaks · TB tackle breaks · Off offloads · Tries tries · Pts points · Fan nrl fantasy points · Runs all runs · PCM post-contact metres

Highlights

0:14Jeral Skelton Trynrl.com0:14Junior Tupou Trynrl.com0:14Heilum Luki Trynrl.com0:16Jaxon Purdue Trynrl.com0:13Tom Chester 2nd Trynrl.com

Compare these twoAll-time head to head, form, this season's numbers and our analyst's verdict

News and reaction

Match reportCowboys vs Wests Tigers - Summary - Rugby League 2026 - 29 Aug, 2026ESPN29 Aug Match reportAll Tries - Cowboys v Wests Tigers - Round 26, 2026NRL.com30 Aug Match reportNRL top eight sealed as calls overshadow Cowboys' winA fired-up Benji Marshall says he will issue a "please explain" to the NRL after a series of "outrageous" calls went against Wests Tigers in their loss to North Queensland. The Cowboys punched their…

Where to watch

NineStreaming on 9NowThree live matches each week plus State of Origin, finals and Grand Final. Not every game.Free to airWatch on Nine

FoxtelStreaming on KayoEvery NRL and NRLW home-and-away match (Fox League channel on Foxtel).SubscriptionWatch on Kayo Watch on Foxtel

Usual broadcasters for this competition in Australia.

Match details

Date: Saturday 29 August 2026
Started: 7:35 pm Sydney time
Venue: Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville
Competition: NRL, Round 26

Form and ladder

North Queensland CowboysWests Tigers

8thLadder15th

13W 11LRecord8W 16L

LLWLWLast 5LLWLL

Team lists

North Queensland Cowboys

1Scott DrinkwaterFullback
2Braidon BurnsWinger
3Jaxon PurdueCentre
4Tom ChesterCentre
5Zac LaybuttWinger
6

Updated 10 Nov, 8:25 pm

Try

Match events

Team stats

1st half

2nd half

Scoring progression

Team stats

Key leaders

Run metres

Tackles

Line breaks

Tackle breaks

Points

Try assists

Post-contact metres

NRL Fantasy

Player stats

Highlights

News and reaction

Where to watch

Match details

Form and ladder

Team lists

North Queensland Cowboys

Possession & completions

Attack

Passing

Kicking

Defence

Negative play

Interchanges

Wests Tigers