It’s safe to say the North Queensland Cowboys were out of their element against the Raiders at GIO Stadium in more ways than one.
Beaten 38-12 by a dominant Canberra outfit, by the time the final whistle blew on Saturday 14 July, the temperature gauge was sitting at -3°C, while back in Townsville it was a balmy 17°C.
A tight game early on, the Green Machine charged home with four converted tries in the final 15 minutes to run out 38-12 victors.
The Raiders wingers put on a show for the 11,471 fans who braved the cold; Jordan Rapana crossed for two tries, while Michael Oldfield bagged three meat pies and ran for 199 metres.
The halves pair of Aidan Sezer and Sam Williams both stood up, setting up several tries off through kicks, and forcing a number of repeat sets.
Workhorse Josh Papalii was massive backing up from Origin, running 182 metres and laying on 31 tackles.
With the door still ajar for finals, the club will have to cover for skipper Jarrod Croker, who requires season ending surgery after dislocating his left kneecap.
This week Canberra take on Cronulla at Southern Cross Group Stadium, Friday 20 July.
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