We rate the performance of the 17 North Queensland players after their thrilling 17-16 victory over the Broncos in one of the greatest ever Grand Finals.
1. Lachlan Coote: Tried his best to spark the Cowboys in the second half after an ordinary first 40. His 64th-minute try-scoring opportunity ended in a double movement, but it didn't matter in the end. 7
2. Kyle Feldt: Had a massive final minute, scoring the try that sent the game into golden point, but otherwise struggled against the Broncos' left edge. Bombed a try in the 13th minute and struggled to cope with the Broncos' last tackle options all night long. 6
3. Justin O'Neill: Bar some earlier defensive woes was one of the Cowboys' more solid performers and scored North Queensland's first try. 7
4. Kane Linnett: Dropped two crucial balls midway through the second half in good field position, including a possible try, but still managed to top the metre count. 5.5
5. Antonio Winterstein: Solid without being outstanding and did what was told of him throughout the entire game. 7
6. Michael Morgan: Came up with some big errors, but with the game on the line he made a clutch play to send it into golden point. 6.5
7. Johnathan Thurston: Kicked the match-winning field goal in the 83rd minute and controlled the game for the most part with his rock solid kicking game. Will go down as one of the game's Immortals in due time. 8.5
8. Matt Scott: He didn't touch the ball until the 12th minute but Scott ensured he didn't leave a stone unturned in the second half and finished with typically strong numbers. 7
9. Jake Granville: His two try assists in the first half proved crucial in the grand scheme of things and definitely had an impact when he re-entered proceedings in the final 20 minutes. 8
10. James Tamou: Just about the game's best and very unlucky not to win the Clive Churchill Medal. The prop was amazing from the first to the 80th minute while his first-half try was the cherry on top. 9
11. Gavin Cooper: A workhorse in defence, Cooper was at his ever-reliable best with the most tackles of any Cowboy. 7.5
12. Ethan Lowe: Quietly went about his business without a hitch – a true indication of his underrated season. 7
13. Jason Taumalolo: Found himself tackling more than usual in both his stints on the field which lessened his impact with ball, but still came up with 170 metres. 7.5
Interchange:
14. Rory Kostjasyn: Kostjasyn fed the ball all day out of dummy-half without providing much spark otherwise, with Granville doing the energetic stuff at either end of the game. 6
15. John Asiata: Didn't get on until the second half but still made 84 metres and 20 tackles in his limited opportunities on the field. 6
16. Scott Bolton: Replaced Scott midway through the first 40 and outdid the Maroons prop's work rate in the core of the contest. One of the game's more underappreciated players. 7.5
17. Ben Hannant: A typical Hannant display from the bench showed once again why he's played for Australia in his stints at prop and lock. His workhorse ways continued in the second half and came back to haunt his former Broncos team. 7
Match report: Thurston kicks Cowboys to premiership
NRL Grand Final: Five key points
Broncos player ratings
Match highlights
Magic Moment: Feldt's late, late try
Magic Moment: Thurston wins it
WATCH: Winning skippers' speech
WATCH: Hodges' post-game speech
