Pre-season Challenge, North Queensland Cowboys vs Penrith Panthers match wrap, teams, Reed Mahoney, Jake Clifford, videos, highlights

A full-strength Cowboys outfit was far too good for the undermanned Panthers in difficult conditions in Mackay, running out 66-24 winners in a lopsided contest.

North Queensland played near-perfect football to score four tries in the first 15 minutes, completing their first 17 sets to lead 44-0 at halftime.

The Cowboys scored just three minutes into the game with new-look spine partners Reed Mahoney, Tom Dearden and Scott Drinkwater combining to unlock space for Braidon Burns in the right corner.

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MATCH CENTRE: Cowboys vs Panthers teams, scores, updates

It was a sign of things to come with North Queensland running a training drill at BB Print Stadium.

Not much can be said about the young Panthers side which was starved of possession and attacking ball, forced to valiantly make tackles as Dearden and Mahoney tore them to shreds.

The Cowboys missed just one tackle through the opening 40 minutes before clearing the benches after the break, losing some of the urgency and execution shown earlier in the night.

Drinkwater said it was exactly what the team was searching for in the final game before their season-opener.

“I thought we were very composed,” Drinkwater said.

“Pre-season has been different, a bit refreshing so that’s been pretty positive.

“We’re not looking forward too far, we know what we want to do so it’s just about maintaining those habits for the entire season.”

COMBINATIONS

Jake Clifford was given the first opportunity to partner Dearden in the halves and he took it with both hands, scoring two tries and setting up another in a dominant opening half.

Jaxon Purdue took over as halfback for the second stanza but looked equally as effective at centre, meaning Zac Laybutt could become the victim of Clifford’s fine form should Viliami Vailea be cleared to play in Las Vegas.

Penrith struggled to build any continuity without front-foot ball and Ivan Cleary wouldn’t have learnt much about possible combinations from the contest.

RECRUIT WATCH

Reed Mahoney has found his new home in North Queensland.

The tenacious dummy half can provide something that NSW hooker Reece Robson sometimes struggled with, offering genuine playmaking around the ruck and a sharp kicking game.

Mahoney was extremely active in the first half with two try assists, two linebreak assists and 18 tackles before making way for Soni Luke, with premiership-winning playmaker Luke Keary predicting him to be a huge success in Townsville.

“He’s a leader, he was the captain of that Bulldogs team,” Keary said on Fox League.

“He has got a chip on his shoulder. He came out and said if anyone knows why the Bulldogs got rid of me let me know. He is playing like that tonight.

“He is going to be a great addition to the Cowboys. Robson is a big loss but they get a leader and a tough competitor in Mahoney.”

Panthers forward Kalani Going, 29, had some strong carries playing on the right edge and made 28 tackles with only two misses.

Going was crowned 2025 NSW Cup Player of the Year after leading the Warriors to the club’s first NSW Cup and National State Championship win as captain, and could figure into the Panthers squad around State of Origin time.

ROOKIE WATCH

Although Jesse McLean only has four NRL appearances to his name, he is not eligible for rookie of the year in 2026 because it will be his fourth season playing first grade.

He’s still definitely one to watch this year, scoring Penrith’s opening try in the right corner.

Panthers centre Sione Fonua was one of his side’s better defenders but he took some heavy damage making a tackle late in the first half, coming from the field for an HIA.

HOT TAKE

Don’t listen to the naysayers, the Cowboys are playing finals footy in 2026.

They simply have too much quality across the park and anything lower than a top eight finish would be a failure which would likely spell the end of Todd Payten’s tenure in Townsville.

FINAL SAY

It’s hard to give the Cowboys too much credit for a dominant performance in Mackay considering the experience level of their opposition, but anyone with North Queensland penciled into the bottom of their ladder predictions may have to go back to the drawing board.

The Panthers cubs who made the challenging trip north can hold their heads high, it simply wasn’t their night against a determined home team that looks ready for round 1.

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TEAMS

Cowboys team: 1. Scott Drinkwater 2. Braidon Burns 3. Jaxon Purdue 4. Zac Laybutt 5. Murray Taulagi 6. Jake Clifford 7. Tom Dearden 8. Coen Hess 9. Reed Mahoney 10. Jason Taumalolo 11. Heilum Luki 12. Sam McIntyre 13. Reuben Cotter 14. Soni Luke 15. Thomas Mikaele 16. Matthew Lodge 17. John Bateman 18. Liam Sutton 19. Mason Barber 20. Kai O’Donnell 21. Harrison Edwards 22. Jaxson Paulo 23. Robert Derby 24. Ethan King

Panthers team: 1. Jaxen Edgar 2. Jesse McLean 3. Patrick Moimoi 4. Sione Fonua 5. Nick Murphy 6. Keahn Skipps 7. Kurt Falls 8. Delahia Wigmore 9. Billy Scott 10. Tobias Crosby 11. Zakauri Clarke 12. Kalani Going 13. Billy Phillips 14. Jenson Tuaoi 15. Jakeb Vailalo 16. Vea Tapa’atoutai 17. Harry Armstrong 18. Tuaomaliemavaitoelau Patea 19. Isaiah Scanlan 20. Hokafonu Lemoto 21. Jirah Liddiard 22. Braye Porter 23. Haami Loza 24. Josh Ruxton