Super Saturday: Panthers v Sea Eagles; Cows storm home

Follow all of the Round 8 action in the 2025 Telstra Premiership on NRL.com's live blog.

Seven unanswered tries in the second half saw the Cowboys overpower the Gold Coast and reverse a half-time deficit to strengthen their top-four claims, with Jeremiah Nanai claiming a double and Robert Derby a hat-trick.

The Panthers look to continue their return to winning ways against the spluttering Sea Eagles, with the Cowboys having earlier extended their current unbeaten run to four games against the Titans.

Sea Eagles: No further moves from coach Anthony Seibold an hour from kick-off, following a flurry of changes on Friday night. That saw Jason Saab (ankle) and Josh Aloiai (shoulder) ruled out, with Tommy Talau moving from the bench to the wing and Ethan Bullemor replacing Aloiai in at prop. Gordon Chan Kum Tong and Caleb Navale are the new faces on the bench.

Panthers: A late change sees Brad Schneider replace Luke Sommerton as the run-on hooker, with triple premiership winner Mitch Kenny out suspended. Izack Tago returns to the centres in place of Luke Garner (concussion). Daine Laurie serves as the replacement player.

1st min: The Sea Eagles get us underway with first use of the ball, as they look to avoid a fourth-straight defeat at CommBank Stadium.

6th min: Reuben Garrick continues an unhappy couple of minutes for Casey McLean by exposing the Kiwi's inside shoulder to go over for the opener, which he also converts.

14th min: Casey McLean leaves the field for a head injury assessment and is replaced by Mavrik Geyer.

19th min: Another classy right-side raid from Manly bears fruit, with Tom Trbojevic providing the final ball for Tommy Talau to score. Garrick converts for a 12-0 lead. The Sea Eagles have so far enjoyed 64 percent of the ball against the premiers.

20th min: Penrith fullback Dylan Edwards ends up on report for an alleged trip which happened as he tried to prevent Talau from scoring.

27th min: The Sea Eagles successfully challenge an on-field call of a knock-on metres from their line and are back on the ball.

30th min: Brad Schneider leaves the game for a HIA, which brings Luke Sommerton into the action.

31st min: Isaiah Papali'i goes on report for an offence and gifts Manly with an easy two points, which Garrick gladly claims. The Sea Eagles now lead 14-0.

33rd minute: Things are seriously unravelling for Penrith now, with Scott Sorensen put on report and binned for a shoulder charge on Nathan Brown.

Half-time: A very strong opening stanza from the Sea Eagles has them up by 14. They've completed all but two of their 28 sets and run for almost 300 metres more than their opponents.

Up Next / Cancel Replay Play Next Cowboys v Titans – Round 8, 2025

Next week: The Cowboys are the away team to the Warriors at Magic Round and will feature in the middle game on Saturday, while the Titans take on a Bulldogs side who are coming off their first loss of the season on the Sunday at Suncorp Stadium.

Full-time: A mesmerising second half from the Cowboys sees them overcome a 18-12 half-time deficit to claim a convincing 50-18 victory! PNG flyer Robert Derby claims three tries in the win and tops the yardage count with 217 metres. The Gold Coast end up with 47 missed tackles to their name during an ugly collapse.

79th minute: The game ends with a penalty try. Robert Derby gets a personal hat-trick after being impeded on his way to the line. He knocked on during the act of trying to ground the ball, but Bunker review says he would have scored without the foul in the lead up. Scott Drinkwater converts for 50.

Up Next / Cancel Replay Play Next Robert Derby Try

78th minute: It's just not the Titans' day. Phillip Sami fumbles a would-be try over the line.

78th minute: A possible Titans try is called back for a forward pass, but there's a penalty prior to it that ensures the Gold Coast retain possession.

72nd min: A classy shift featuring touches from Jake Clifford and Tom Dearden results in Scott Drinkwater sending Murray Taulagi over in the corner. The Samoan flyer replaces Drinkwater as the kicker on the ensuing conversion and bangs it in off the right post for a memorable first career goal. The Cowboys are a converted try away from 50 now.

Up Next / Cancel Replay Play Next Murray Taulagi Try

69th min: The numerical disadvantage is becoming too much for the Gold Coast now, as North Queensland strip them for numbers and a flying Robert Derby grabs his second for the night. Scott Drinkwater shanks the conversion from out wide, but still manages to get enough on it to add another two points.

Up Next / Cancel Replay Play Next Robert Derby 2nd Try

67th min: Reece Robson burns the Titans from dummy-half, selling them on a dummy before breaking an attempted tackle from opposite number Sam Verrills to drive over. Scott Drinkwater's conversion makes it a three-score lead for the Cowboys.

Up Next / Cancel Replay Play Next Reece Robson Try

64th min: The Titans bravely survive an onslaught from the Cowboys while camped on their own line. Des Hasler's men remain in the game and are back in possession.

61st min: It goes from bad to worse for the Gold Coast as Brock Gray is placed on report and binned for high contact. The visitors have given themselves a huge hill to climb now if they are to claim victory.

Up Next / Cancel Replay Play Next Brock Gray sent to the bin

59th min: Jeremiah Nanai once again - the big back-rower is too powerful out wide and he hands the Cowboys a fourth-straight try. The hosts extend their lead even though Scott Drinkwater's conversion is wide.

Up Next / Cancel Replay Play Next Jeremiah Nanai 2nd Try

52nd min: There's no stopping Purdue this time! The lethal centre bursts through for his sixth try in as many games and for the first time today the home side are in front. It's 22-18 to the Cowboys.

Up Next / Cancel Replay Play Next Jaxon Purdue Try

48th min: Purdue is dragged down just short of the line once again following another break, but seconds later Robert Derby is over for North Queensland's third, with Scott Drinkwater's conversion locking scores.

Up Next / Cancel Replay Play Next Robert Derby Try

41st min: A brilliant try-saver from Jaylan De Groot, who tracks down a flying Jaxon Purdue to deny the centre a try in the corner.

Up Next / Cancel Replay Play Next De Groot with a sensational try save

Half-time: The Gold Coast lead 18-12 after 40 minutes, but will be down a man for the first nine minutes of the second period due to a sin-binning.

39th min: A prolonged review from the Bunker finds high contact from Jaimin Jolliffe on John Bateman minutes earlier. It results in a sin-binning which leaves the contest as a 12 v 12 one at the break.

Up Next / Cancel Replay Play Next Jaimin Jolliffe sent to the bin

36th min: A man down on the field, the Cowboys punish the Titans for an error coming out of yardage and strike back through prolific back-rower Jeremiah Nanai, who shakes out of an attempted tackle from Tom Weaver. Drinkwater adds the two and it's back to a one-score game.

Up Next / Cancel Replay Play Next Wonderful footy from the Titans

31st min: Tom Weaver takes the easy two points on offer for the penalty which followed the sin-binning and makes it a 12-point lead for the away side.

31st min: The Cowboys get out of jail after the Titans get over what initially appeared to be their fourth try. But the Bunker finds an offside player who is involved in the play. It's not all good news for North Queensland though, with Jake Clifford being sent to the sin bin for a professional foul. Clifford denied a player a run through to the line in the lead up and will end the half in the bin.

Up Next / Cancel Replay Play Next Jake Clifford sent to the bin

26th min: Having passed his head injury assessment, Murray Taulagi returns to the contest, coming on for Reuben Cotter.

25th min: A try claim for the Cowboys is ruled out by the Bunker after Coen Hess leaps high and whacks the ball towards his teammates, only for it to be called a knock on.

23rd min: North Queensland throw plenty at the Titans as they are camped on their line, but Des Hasler's men survive and go back on the attack with the ball.

18th min: Another one! Three tries in the space of five minutes for the visitors. This time it's Beau Fermor, who grabs onto a pass from short range and goes over for his third try of the year. The Titans lead by 10.

Up Next / Cancel Replay Play Next Beau Fermor Try

16th min: Brian Kelly races through on a Beau Fermor short ball. Despite a somewhat dodgy decision on the put down, the Titans are in front, with Weaver on target from the tee.

Up Next / Cancel Replay Play Next Brian Kelly Try

13th min: Phil Sami climbs high to claim a Tom Weaver bomb before offloading to Jojo Fifita. From there Fifita steps back inside to score from close range and reduce the gap to two points. In the act of trying to stop the try, Murray Taulagi and Jaxon Purdue collide with each other, resulting in Taulagi requiring a HIA.

Up Next / Cancel Replay Play Next Jojo Fifita Try

10th min: Both sides are struggling to complete early on, with five combined errors through the opening 10 minutes.

8th min: A lovely interchange of passing between the two North Queensland halves sees Tom Dearden send Jake Clifford over for the opening try! Scott Drinkwater knocks over the ensuing conversion from next to the posts and it's 6-0 to the Cowboys.

Up Next / Cancel Replay Play Next Jake Clifford Try

4th min: An early scare for the Titans after Jaylan De Groot spilled his first attempted kick of the day, but they survive.

1st min: We're underway here in the opening game of Super Saturday, with the Cowboys enjoying first use of the football.

The Titans have a rough record in Townsville, having tasted victory in just one of their past 13 games played there. They've also beaten the Cowboys only twice in their past six head-to-head clashes.

Late Mail

Cowboys: No further changes an hour out from kick-off, after coach Todd Payten added Harrison Edwards to the interchange at the expense of Kai O'Donnell on Friday. John Bateman returns from the spider bite that left him hospitalised and forced him to miss the win over South Sydney in Perth. Jordan McLean will wear No.22 but start in the front row, with Karl Lawton the replacement player.

Titans: David Fifita is good to go after initial fears that he'd suffered a multi-week hamstring injury ahead of Round 7. Alofiana Khan-Pereira is also back from a hamstring injury, while Brock Gray returns from suspension. Tony Francis is the replacement player.

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