North Queensland has thrashed Parramatta 46-4 in their National Rugby League game in Townsville to maintain second place in the tightly congested top eight.
The Cowboys' playmaker Johnathan Thurston. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The Cowboys made a number of mistakes in the first half and the game was close, but the homeside piled on 36 points in 33 minutes in the second spell to dominate the game.
It has been a season to forget for Parramatta, with salary cap concerns, dramas with halfback Chris Sandow which culminated in his eventual release to the English Super League and a shopping list of injuries headlined by Corey Norman, Danny Wicks and Anthony Watmough.
North Queensland are second on the table, 2 points behind Brisbane, while Parramatta are 13th.
Meanwhile the Melbourne Storm prop player Jesse Bromwich is facing a lengthy ban after being charged with biting by the NRL's match review committee.
The Kiwis front rower has been charged with dangerous contact and the matter has been referred directly to the NRL judiciary.
Bromwich was accused by the St George Illawarra fullback Josh Dugan of biting down on his arm during the Storm's 22-4 win on Saturday.
The Canterbury prop James Graham was banned for 12 weeks for a similar incident in the 2012 grand final when he bit the Storm's Billy Slater.
