In a game that had all the hallmarks of finals footy, the Uni-Norths Owls and Queanbeyan Whites couldn’t be separated in a 35-all thriller at Campese Field, with ten converted tries shared between the two top-four sides.

It was end-to-end from the outset, with both teams bringing physicality, flair, and a fair share of feeling in a match played as part of Queanbeyan’s Heritage Round celebrations. Despite trailing by two converted tries midway through the second half, the Owls clawed their way back to level scores in the 79th minute thanks to a late surge sparked by Christopher Mickelson and Patrick Callaughan.

The match started with a bang, hooker Mickelson barging over for the Owls in the fifth minute, with Sam Toa adding the extras. The Whites responded almost immediately, with Nathan Carroll crossing in the 13th minute, followed by further first-half tries to Jackson Stuart, Andrew McFarlane, and Jean-benit Madjaga, all converted by the clinical Cullin Cooper-Jones.

Despite the four-try flurry from Queanbeyan, the Owls refused to fold. Callaughan punched through just before the break to keep Uni-Norths in the contest, trimming the Whites’ lead to 28–14 at halftime.

The Owls turned up the heat early in the second half. Mickelson stormed over again in the 46th minute for his second, and Toa’s conversion brought it back to a one-score game. But the home side hit back instantly, Cooper-Jones crossing for a try of his own and slotting his fifth conversion to push the Whites out to a 35–21 lead.

What followed was a gritty comeback as discipline began to unravel. A string of yellow cards, one to Whites winger Koko Salim for repeated infringements, and another to Jakob Biet for an intentional offence, left the home side vulnerable. The Owls pounced, with Mickelson completing his hat-trick in the 75th minute and Callaughan finishing off a sweeping team movement with a minute to play. Toa remained flawless from the tee, nailing all five conversions, including the crucial equaliser.

Neither side could find the winner in the final seconds, leaving the match locked at 35–35, a result that keeps the Owls in third place on the ladder, just behind Royals and Vikings, with three rounds to play. With Wests, Vikings and Royals still to come, the Owls will be battle-tested heading into finals. This performance showed they’ve got the fight, flair and fitness to match it with anyone.

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Tries
Owls: Christopher Mickelson (5’, 46’, 75’), Patrick Callaughan (36’, 79’)
Whites: Nathan Carroll (13’), Jackson Stuart (20’), Andrew McFarlane (31’), Jean-benit Madjaga (39’), Cullin Cooper-Jones (54’)

Conversions
Owls: Samuel Toa 5/5
Whites: Cullin Cooper-Jones 5/5

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Uni-Norths Owls 1st Grade

1. Zeb Maddinson
2. Christopher Mickelson
3. Vaotangi Mafi
4. Billy Hansen
5. Harvey Cordukes
6. Jasper Simmons
7. Dylan Challita
8. Samuel Mickelson (C)
9. Zion Going
10. Samuel Toa
11. Charlie Crozier
12. Patrick Callaughan
13. Liae Tuilagi
14. Siave Seti
15. Jordan Thompson
    Reserves: 16. Will Hodge, 17. Te Huia Kutia, 18. Tauati Chan Tung, 19. Jett Fraser, 20. Jimmy Plowman, 21. Polynesia Crichton, 22. Callum Frawley Richardson, 23. Harvey Mclean

Queanbeyan Whites 1st Grade

1. Jean-benit Madjaga
2. Ewald Kruger
3. Isaiah Kolopeaua
4. Jack Preston
5. Josh Townsend
6. Judah Qoro Saumaisue
7. Patrick Egan
8. Riley Turner
9. Cullin Cooper-Jones
10. Andrew McFarlane
11. Koko Salim
12. Jakob Biet
13. Jackson Stuart
14. Blake Miller
15. Nathan Carroll
    Reserves: 16. Lochlan Smith, 18. Mark Tiuru-Beni, 20. Jack Gordon, 21. William Brisbane, 22. Archie Blaney-Brown, 23. Maligi Finau, 27. Jacob Mead