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AAP
AAP
Joel Gould

Dibb field goal the clincher as Cowboys pip Titans

The Cowboys' Kirra Dibb (right) kicked a field goal to clinch victory over the Titans. (Scott Radford-Chisholm/AAP PHOTOS)

North Queensland co-captain Kirra Dibb landed a 65th-minute field goal to snatch an 11-10 win over Gold Coast in an NRLW heart-stopper in Townsville.

In the earlier clash, a late try by Brisbane winger Stacey Wakka secured a 28-22 win over Canberra in a high-scoring thriller.

No.7 Dibb, who also set up the Cowboys' two tries, had ice in her veins when classy hooker Emma Manzelmann delivered a slick pass from dummy-half for the winner.

"The set-up was a bit iffy to be honest  and I was a little worried about it, but we stayed calm," Dibb told Fox League.

'"Emma gave great service with that ball from hooker, so I was really glad to get it in.

"The focus was our defence and stepping it up one gear because we knew they were going to match us."

Dibb put up a pinpoint cross-field bomb and winger Fran Goldthorp leapt high to snaffle the ball and score a cracker to open the scoring.

Titans debutant Lailani Montgomery, playing at five-eighth, showcased her class with a deft grubber kick for winger Georgia Grey to score her first NRLW try.

The Titans' Georgia Grey.
The Titans' Georgia Grey had reason to smile after scoring her first NRLW try against the Cowboys. (Scott Radford-Chisholm/AAP PHOTOS)

Gold Coast centre Jaime Chapman lost the ball over the line twice and, clearly frustrated, gave away possession with a loose pass. The Cowboys pounced at the other end.

Dibb threw a no-look pass to barnstorming centre Jakiya Whitfeld, who ran a superb line to take a 10-4 lead at halftime.

Star Titans half Lauren Brown kicked out on the full twice after halftime, but her defensive resolve also saved two tries.

It was brute force from Titans bench forward Laikha Clarke that levelled the scores, before Dibb landed a field goal off the upright. Brown had a chance in the final minute to level but sprayed it.

At Langlands Park in Brisbane, the Broncos led 8-0 early in the match and then  22-12 after the break, but the Raiders fought back on both occasions.

It was Wakka's alert support play that broke a 22-all deadlock when she dived over out wide to score her second try in the 66th minute.

Wakka, who won gold with New Zealand in the rugby sevens at the Paris Olympics,  was playing just her second match of rugby league after making a sensational NRLW debut the previous week in the 44-4 thrashing of the Titans.

She set up the first of centre Shenae Ciesiolka's two tries when she leapt high to catch an Ali Brigginshaw bomb. 

Wakka's first try was a carbon copy except she did it all herself with aerial acrobatics before crashing over.

It was the Broncos' back five that proved the difference, with powerhouse winger Julia Robinson also scoring a double while running for 211m.

The Raiders refused to yield, with centre Mackenzie Wiki a handful, scoring a try and running for 203m. 

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