The North Queensland Cowboys confirmed themselves as tournament favourites with a pair of commanding victories, while the hometown New Zealand Warriors crashed out of finals contention on day one of the 2017 Downer NRL Auckland Nines.
The Cowboys scored a combined 62 points in their opening two games, as they flew past the Roosters 27‑15 and Raiders 35‑6 to book their spot in the quarterfinals.
North Queensland's 20‑year‑old flyer Gideon Gela‑Mosby tops the try‑scoring charts, alongside Brisbane's Jordan Kahu, with five tries, while fellow Cowboys Holden Cup graduate Kalyn Ponga also stood out.
Ponga grabbed three tries and played a leading hand in several others for North Queensland, causing problems for opposing defences in combination with Johnathan Thurston, who was full of praise for the 18‑year‑old.
The Parramatta Eels join North Queensland as the team to beat after the first two rounds of matches, picking up victories over the Dragons (32‑11) and Warriors (17‑0).
Playmaker Corey Norman and outside backs Bevan French and Semi Radradra all carried over the form which saw them included in the 2016 Team of the Tournament.
In other injury news, Benji Marshall found himself in the wars in his debut outing for the Broncos, requiring stitches for a mouth cut in the first game and leaving the second with an a foot injury.
Source: NRL
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