North Queensland Cowboys vs Penrith Panthers - Round 17, 2026
The result
Cowboys and Panthers were locked together at halftime, 10 all, before Cowboys pulled clear with tries to Jeremiah Nanai and Jake Clifford after the break to win 26 to 12 at Queensland Country Bank Stadium. Murray Taulagi crossed inside the opening minute, but Penrith's closest approach after the break was 2 points.
How it unfolded
Cowboys ran in 1761 all run metres to the Panthers' 1424 and completed at 77 percent to Penrith's 64, dominating both ball use and territory. Penrith made 382 tackles to the Cowboys' 281, the sign of a side stuck defending for long stretches.
Against projection
Freddy Lussick ran well clear of his number, 45 points against a projection of 39, while Liam Garner came off the bench for 32 against a projection of 25. Paul Alamoti fell short, 17 against a projection of 46, and Brian To'o never got moving either, 32 against 55. Lindsay Smith lasted just 31 minutes but still put up 31 points.
Price moves
Jack Cogger's 27 against a break even of just 4 drove a rise of $36,000, and Thomas Jenkins added $19,000 after his 56 against a break even of 30. On the other side, Soni Luke fell $38,000 after scoring 8 against a break even of 41, and Reuben Cotter dropped $30,000 having returned 24 against a break even of 48.
Ownership outcome
Nathan Cleary, among the most heavily owned and captained players in the competition, scored 64 against a projection of 75. Isaah Yeo added 49 from 58 minutes, while Jaxon Purdue's 40 points, well short of the ownership those two commanded, stood out as the return from a far less popular selection.
