LIVE: Storm hit 20-year low as Cowboys come alive

St George Illawarra are connected the committee aft 8 minutes with Zac Lomax converting a punishment extremity successful beforehand of the posts.

Play has kicked disconnected astatine Penrith.

Penrith Panthers

1. Dylan Edwards 2. Sunia Turuva 23. Izack Tago 4. Stephen Crichton 5. Brian To'o 6. Jarome Luai 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Moses Leota 9. Mitch Kenny 10. James Fisher-Harris 11. Scott Sorensen 12. Zac Hosking 13. Isaah Yeo 15. Lindsay Smith 16. Liam Martin 18. Jack Cogger 24. Spencer Leniu 3. Tyrone Peachey

St George Illawarra Dragons

1. Tyrell Sloan 2. Mathew Feagai 3. Moses Suli 4. Zac Lomax 5. Mikaele Ravalawa 14. Jayden Sullivan 7. Ben Hunt 8. Francis Molo 9. Jacob Liddle 10. Michael Molo 11. Billy Burns 12. Jaydn Su'A 13. Jack de Belin 15. Ben Murdoch-Masila 16. Jaiyden Hunt 17. Josh Kerr 17. Moses Mbye 18. Toby Couchman

The full-time whistle blows successful Townsville arsenic the Cowboys chalk up a 45-20 win.

North Queensland has racked up the biggest people of immoderate squad against Melbourne since 2003, which was Craig Bellamy's archetypal play successful charge.

Stay tuned for Bellamy's property league — it should beryllium spicy.

The Cowboys tally successful different superb effort arsenic their second-half domination of the Storm rolls on.

Peta Hiku dashes down the close borderline and sends a footwear toward the posts, arsenic Chad Townsend races through, pounces connected the footy and scores.

"When you're hot, you're hot," says Nine commentator Mat Thompson.

"They're precise overmuch inactive live successful this competition," Billy Slater says connected the Nine broadcast.

"We've been going done their team, from their extracurricular backs to their key-position players to their ruck forwards and their borderline back-rowers."

Heading into this game, the Cowboys were languishing successful second-last connected the ladder.

That was contempt finishing 3rd connected the ladder past play and reaching the preliminary finals.

The Cowboys person been exceptional contiguous — and are expected to regain juggernaut guardant Jason Taumalolo next week. The 2016 Dally M Medallist is recovering from a genu injury.

The Cowboys tin sniff an upset triumph now.

Murray Taulagi crosses for his 2nd effort of the crippled and Jeremiah Nanai scores little than 5 minutes later.

Question marks person lingered implicit the Cowboys' defence each season, but their onslaught has been beauteous bully this year.

Today, their onslaught has been sublime.

Todd Payten's men pb 38-20 with conscionable nether 15 minutes remaining.

Nick Meaney scores a chip-and-chase try!

The Storm fullback spots that Cowboys No.1 Scott Drinkwater is successful the antiaircraft line, truthful helium chips, regathers and dots down for a superb solo try.

"He's a much-improved player, Nick Meaney, and he's gathering a bully small arsenal successful his kit bag," Billy Slater says connected the Nine broadcast.

"He's got the smarts and the footy IQ."

Meaney converts his effort arsenic the Storm trim the shortage to 26-20 conscionable earlier the hr mark.

Murray Taulagi strikes for the Cowboys!

The Queensland State of Origin flyer hurtles into the Storm antiaircraft enactment connected the near wing, hits the deck, springs backmost to his feet and slams the shot down.

Nine caller Mat Thompson describes it arsenic a "rampaging" effort arsenic Valentine Holmes converts to propulsion the Cowboys' pb retired to 26-14 successful the 54th minute.

Semi Valemei is having 1 peculiar day!

The erstwhile Raiders winger, playing his archetypal crippled for the Cowboys, zips implicit for his 3rd effort of the time soon aft the half-time break.

Nine caller Mat Thompson informs viewers that Valemei has go the archetypal Cowboys subordinate to people a hat-trick connected nine debut.

Remarkable!

Valentine Holmes nails the conversion arsenic the Cowboys widen their pb to 20-14.