The North Queensland's 31-12 win over St George Illawarra has been soured by a potentially season-ending injury to a promising youngster, while a Dragons star has escaped charge from a dangerous tackle.
Cowboys second-rower Heilum Luki suffered a suspected ACL injury in the 15th minute after a dominant start from his side which saw them 12-0 before the innocuous injury.
Despite not being a consistent starter in the impressive 2022 Cowboys line-up, Luki has played an essential role in providing depth for the side behind Tom Gilbert and Jeremiah Nanai.
The Dragons would have been hoping the injury could have opened the door to a potential upset win to place them inside the top eight, but it was not to be as continuous mistakes and scrappy plays left much to be desired.
Star centre Jack Bird saw himself in strife for a hip drop tackle on Cowboys prop Jordan McLean which left the 30-year-old clutching his knee in discomfort after the act.
After being placed on report, the Match Review Committee (MRC) concluded the incident was not worthy of any charges, much to the relief of St George who need all the star power they can get to build into the second half of the season.
29-year-old Dragon Jonathon Reuben overtook Darren Nicholls to become the oldest debutant in NRL history and gained 182 metres in a solid first outing in the league.
The bye rounds are over, and there are seven more huge clashes in Round 14 including the Roosters hosting Melbourne Storm at the SCG this afternoon.