Robbie Farah is intent on going out on a high after leading the Wests Tigers to a resounding 28-4 NRL win over North Queensland.
Two days after announcing his retirement, Farah, 35, starred alongside Luke Brooks to all but end the Cowboys’ season at Leichhardt Oval on Thursday night.
The win provisionally catapulted Michael Maguire’s team into eighth spot as they got their own campaign back on a sound footing after just one win over the previous month.
While in a logjam of sides scrambling to crack the top eight, they now have the inspiration to return to finals football for the first time since 2011 with club legend Farah to hang up his boots at season’s end.
Playing his 301st premiership game, his kick-pressure was immense and forced a number of Cowboys errors including Jake Clifford putting one out on the full and Jake Granville throwing the ball into an offside player.
And when he jumped out of dummy-half to make it 18-0, the 10,015-strong crowd was chanting his name and willing him on to re-sign for a couple more years.
Brooks was superb – kicking for Esan Marsters’ opening try and throwing a lovely cut-out ball for Paul Momirovski – finishing with three try assists.
At the opposite of the field the No.7 was saving tries as well, pulling off a last-ditch strip on Kyle Feldt who looked destined to cross.
Meanwhile, Benji Marshall – who is expected to re-sign for another year – showed fine touch playing both sides of the ruck.
The Cowboys on the other hand can now start booking mad Monday flights to Bali given they would have to win all of their last five just to be a hope of making the finals.
Not even the return of skipper Michael Morgan from a three-week absence due to concussion could spark Paul Green’s outfit, as they slumped to their sixth loss in seven starts.
The Cowboys had their chances but came up empty in the first-half as Morgan threw it forward to Shane Wright with the line begging while Jason Taumalolo broke into the backfield with a brutal run, only for the play to break down when Tom Opacic dropped it just metres out.
Feldt scored a consolation try in the 65th minute but Marsters’ second and a Chris Lawrence touchdown put the cherry on top for the home side.