NRL Grand Final 2015: Score and Twitter Reaction for Broncos vs. Cowboys
North Queensland Cowboys won a dramatic 2015 NRL Grand Final against the Brisbane Broncos on Sunday, triumphing 17-16 in extra time as the ANZ Stadium played host to one of the most electric finals in recent memory.
Tries from the Broncos' Corey Oates and Jack Reed gave Brisbane the advantage, but Justin O'Neill, James Tamou and Kyle Feldt all crossed the line for North Queensland to level the scores at 16-16 in the 80th minute.
Johnathan Thurston's field goal for the golden point won the Cowboys their first Grand Final, with the Broncos players left on the floor in an emotional heap after a nervous last few seconds.
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In a frantic match in extreme temperatures, the Broncos grabbed the lead after six minutes with a penalty, and it took only an additional 60 seconds to score their first try as Brisbane ran the full length of the pitch.
Adam Blair offloaded to Anthony Milford, and he passed to Oates who sped away to score a spectacular try from deep.
League HQ shared the special moment as Oates crossed the line:
The Cowboys wasted no time striking back as O'Neill went over to drag his side back into the mix. Jake Granville guided the ball inside to O'Neill from the scrum, and the Queensland-born player made sure of the score to take it to 8-6.
The heat of the day was clearly affecting the midfield, with sweat pouring off the players, and it was clearly slowing down individuals as the game maintained its hectic pace.
North Queensland took the lead on the half-hour mark as Tamou cruised over to score his side's second try. Triple M marked the score:
The try would have pleased Tamou's watching family after his son was captured just before kickoff, per ANZ Stadium:
Reed got Brisbane back on level terms as the game swung back toward the Broncos; the English centre drove on after being supplied by Matt Gillett, who scooped up the ball after a knock on.
News Corp Australia's Phil Hillyard highlighted Reed's effort, which gave his team the half-time advantage:
Jordan Kahu kicked a penalty to take the score to 16-12 in the Broncos' favour, and the score stayed the same until the last minute.
The tempo sucked the life out of both sides as the match became a war of attrition, with the Broncos forcing the ball into Cowboys territory as the final minutes of the game played out.
However, the Cowboys counter-attacked, and Gillet saved his side with a big tackle on Lachlan Coote as the player crossed the line for a try. The video ref adjudged a double movement, ruling out the effort, temporarily breaking Cowboys hearts.
The Cowboys pushed hard in the final moments. With the last play of the game, a freak try from Feldt after a Broncos error made it 16-16 with a conversion to win it for the Cowboys—but Thurston's effort hit the post, prompting extra time.
Thurston made amends for his miss just two minutes into extra time, his early field goal handing the Cowboys the golden point to win the title.
In one of the most enthralling games in Australian rugby league history, the Cowboys' persistent aggression was rewarded, despite coming up against a terrific Brisbane defence.
The Cowboys are the comeback specialists of the NRL, and they reaffirmed this reputation with the dramatic finish.
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