Wests Tigers kept their NRL finals hopes alive with a 34-14 win over North Queensland in a fiery clash at Leichhardt Oval.
The Tigers scored six tries to two and remained within four points of eighth spot, rallying after they conceded a Matt Bowen try after just 44 seconds.
The Cowboys made plenty of metres in the opening quarter and led 8-0 after ten minutes, but were then held scoreless for 65 minutes as the Tigers poured on 20 unanswered points.
The game exploded at two scrums in a five-minute period in the first half.
After 23 minutes, Cowboys hooker Anthony Watts appeared to punch Tigers counterpart Robbie Farah.
Watts was cautioned after Tigers five-eighth Benji Marshall scored with a solo run from the scrum, which was awarded after a Willie Tonga knock-on close to their line.
Five minutes later, Farah and Watts were both sin-binned after a scuffle at the next scrum.
After looking shellshocked in the first ten minutes, the Tigers turned the game around in the final ten minutes of the half, which ended with them holding a 16-8 lead.
Some typical Tigers razzle dazzle produced tries to centre Chris Lawrence and winger Taniela Tuiaki, the latter coming just a few seconds after the two hookers returned to the field.
Young fullback Shannon Gallant outpaced the Cowboys' defence to add another try nine minutes into the second half.
The Tigers started to make mistakes and the Cowboys closed to within six points after Johnathan Thurston converted a Carl Webb try with 12 minutes left.
But the home team put the issue beyond doubt two minutes later, when Corey Payne crossed for their fifth try and then Farah added a sixth.
Marshall finished with 14 points.
- AAP
NRL: Tigers tame Cowboys
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