Cowboys 16 Wests Tigers 23
There would have been many worried people after Johnathan Thurston was forced from the field last night with a shoulder injury.
Not only is he the guiding light of the Cowboys, but he is also integral to the Australia side and there are doubts he will be fit for next month's Anzac test against the Kiwis.
The Queensland and Australian halfback suffered a subluxed left shoulder during the first half against the Tigers last night, one of several injuries in a brutal game.
Cowboys staff will assess the damage with scans tomorrow, but a serious injury could see him sidelined for up to a month and put him in doubt for the test against New Zealand on May 7.
Compounding the worries for the Cowboys was the sight of vice-captain and regular hooker Aaron Payne limping off with 10 minutes to go with a probable ankle injury.
Tigers halfback Tim Moltzen suffered an even more serious injury, ruling himself out for the rest of the season after a complete tear of his anterior cruciate and lateral ligaments in his left knee in the 15th minute of the match.
The Tigers won the game despite a second-half fightback from the Cowboys, with five-eighth Benji Marshall starring. The Kiwis skipper set up two tries and had a hand in a third in the first half to set-up the win.
Trailing 18-2 at halftime, the Cowboys clawed their way back into the game in the second half with tries to Scott Bolton and Willie Tonga reducing the gap to six points and setting up a cracking finale.
Shannan Gallant had a chance to score against his former club in the 58th minute, but had the ball stripped from his grasp in a desperate one-on-one tackle from opposite number Beau Ryan.
Chris Lawrence sealed the result with his second try of the game inside the final five minutes while Anthony Watts barged over from dummy half with 90 seconds remaining to score a consolation try.
Both clubs could also face meetings with the judiciary this week, with two players placed on report.
Cowboys firebrand Luke O'Donnell could be in the most hot water, sin-binned in the shadows of halftime for an ugly tackle on Tigers fullback Ryan which saw his neck twisted and O'Donnell placed on report.
That penalty was the third in a row for the NSW representative who also launched a spray at referee Gavin Badger in the lead-up.
Andrew Fifita could also find himself in trouble for his high shot on James Tamou in the 14th minute.
Cowboys 16 (S. Bolton, W. Tonga, A. Watts tries; J. Thurston gl, J. Williams gl) Wests Tigers 23 (C. Lawrence 2, C. Heighington, L. Tuqiri tries; B. Marshall 3 gls, R. Farah fg). HT: 2-18.
- AAP
