Magic Round has wrapped up with the Gold Coast Titans beating the Parramatta Eels at Lang Park, to complete a perfect weekend for Queensland teams.
The Titans beat Parramatta 26-24, highlighted by doubles to five-eighth Kieran Foran and winger Alofiana Khan-Pereira, despite a late charge by the Eels.
Earlier, the Cowboys caused an upset by downing the Roosters and Wests Tigers won a scrappy clash with the Dragons.
Eels loss compounded by Moses concussion
Walking-wounded Kieran Foran and rookie winger Alofiana Khan-Pereira have inspired Gold Coast to a 26-24 NRL Magic Round defeat of Parramatta, who lost halfback Mitchell Moses to a category-one concussion late in the game.
Moses picked up his injury attempting to tackle 19-year-old debutant Keano Kini in the final 10 minutes of Sunday's match and will miss at least next week's game against Canberra as part of the league's head injury policy.
The Titans' second upset victory in as many weeks puts their record-equalling capitulation against the Dolphins firmly in the rear-view mirror and moves them into the top eight after round 10.
Foran's first try-scoring double since 2015 and Khan-Pereira's fifth in nine NRL games set the Titans on the path to victory but their usual lapses in concentration meant they were never able to shake free of the persistent Eels.
Dylan Brown was outstanding in a losing effort for the Eels, finishing with 227 run metres and setting up two tries, the second after Moses left the field and the Eels needed a hero to help them back into the game.
In the end, only Tanah Boyd's superior goal-kicking separated the sides, who scored five tries apiece in the final game of the NRL's annual football festival at Lang Park.
Five-eighth Foran had been in doubt for Sunday's game after requiring six stitches in his finger, strapping on his knee and a pain-killer in his toe to get through the win over Manly. But he made his presence felt early.
Eels fullback Clint Gutherson found himself sin-binned for holding Alofiana Khan-Pereira back in a try-scoring situation and only 20 seconds later, David Fifita wrestled free of three defenders and offloaded to his five-eighth.
The try was Foran's first in over a year but only two minutes later, the veteran had his second, dummying to beat Andrew Davey and Will Penisini in a brilliant individual effort.
Khan-Pereira twice bamboozled Gutherson to record his own double, first chipping and chasing past the fullback and then intercepting the fullback's pass to run 95 metres and score.
Eels winger Maika Sivo had the first four-pointer of the night after a Titans error in the ruck, and continued to haunt the Gold Coast defence as he moved into outright first on the try-scoring ladder with two more tries.
Brown had the Eels back within two points when he broke free and found Andrew Davey in the journeyman's first game since re-joining Parramatta last week.
But time favoured the Titans, who closed Magic Round out on a high.
No joy for Roosters as Cowboys rule in the wet
North Queensland have battered the Sydney Roosters in their best display of the year for a deserved 20-6 win with winger Murray Taulagi producing another stunning Magic Round play.
The Cowboys had won just one of their past five matches heading into Sunday's game but defended like demons and took their chances in a stunning reversal of form after last week's 44-6 loss to Cronulla.
It was their fourth win of the year and one that could turn their season around.
On the cusp of kick-off the heavens opened and delivered a downpour. So intense was the rain it knocked out the Roosters' communication systems and coach Trent Robinson moved from the stands to the sideline to direct his team in the first half.
The Cowboys muscled up in the wet and chopped-up turf to score the first try to barnstorming lock Reuben Cotter after a delightful short pass from prop Coen Hess.
Hess and Cotter were at their best in the opening half and showcased the grit and physicality that the side was renowned for last season on their way to the preliminary final.
To a man the Cowboys forwards took the Roosters pack on with gusto. Prop Jamayne Taunoa-Brown clipped Roosters warhorse Jared Waerea-Hargreaves around the chin and was put on report.
Waerea-Hargreaves got up and said: "Let me crack you G." He then turned to referee Ashley Klein and added: "I'm happy to crack him bro."
Taunoa-Brown nonchalantly grinned during a confrontation that highlighted the Cowboys' approach of taking it to the Roosters.
The Cowboys repelled the Roosters at the start of the second half and then struck. Second-rower Jack Gosiewski got his hand on a grubber by Chad Townsend to give them a 12-0 lead before Taulagi showcased the skill and strength that earned him a Queensland jersey in 2022.
Fullback Scott Drinkwater put up a towering bomb and as it landed Taulagi let the ball brush his thigh. He tiptoed down the sideline, regathered and threw an inside ball for Chad Townsend to score. The Cowboys never looked back.
Taulagi threw what was tagged the "pass of the century" last year at Magic Round against Wests Tigers, when he was one metre over the sideline and in mid-air, for Scott Drinkwater to score. Benji Marshall, of 2005 grand final flick pass fame, said it was better than his own stunning effort.
Drinkwater and Cowboys halves Tom Dearden and Townsend kicked better than their opponents.
The Roosters were disjointed in attack and rarely looked likely to score. Five-eighth Joey Manu was put on report for a high shot on Cotter.
Tigers scrap to victory over Dragons
Fresh off their shock win over the Panthers last week, the Tigers have won successive games for the first time since rounds six and seven last year.
They held on for an 18-16 win over the Dragons on Sunday afternoon at Lang Park, in one of the least polished games of Magic Round.
The teams combined for 23 errors and 83 missed tackles as both sides struggled for consistency.
Fittingly, the first points of the game came from ill-discipline, when Jack Bird infringed in the ruck, then mouthed off to the referee, costing his team two points.
The Dragons' opening try to Mikaele Ravalawa also come off an error, with Junior Tupou fumbling a cross-field kick straight into Dragons' hands.
Bird hooked the sideline conversion, and it proved costly as the Dragons lost their third straight game by two points or less.
Starford To'a and David Nofoaluma tries gave the Tigers a half-time lead, despite Jayden Sullivan's 32nd-minute try.
Sullivan snatched the lead back by converting his own try in the 53rd, before Tupou put the Tigers back in front when he stepped back inside and left defenders clutching at air after a left-side shift.
The Dragons came within centimetres of stealing victory 90 seconds from time, but Tigers fullback Jahream Bula put his body on the line to stop a rampaging Ravalawa in the corner.
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