The Wellington Cowboys had a lot on the line during Sunday's game against the Parkes Spacemen.
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Not only did the club host the Group 11 round nine match at Kennard Park, but they also held a special bowel cancer awareness fundraiser with NRL players Kotoni Staggs and Braiden Burns there as ambassadors.
While sometimes it seemed like Parkes were going to be victorious, the Cowboys miraculously pulled through to win 40-30.
The game began with a minute silence to honour those who have passed away from bowel cancer.
It was a moving moment, especially since Cowboys coach Justin Toomey-White is going through his own battle.
But it was game on once the whistle was blown and just three minutes into the first half Brock Naden crossed the line with a successful conversion from Mason Williams.
Parkes retaliated, putting their own points on the scoreboard.
This to and fro with points continued over the first half with Wellington managing to hold on to a narrow lead. But by half-time the score was 18-all.
Parkes crossed the line first in the second half and at one stage even had the lead, but Wellington was able to prove just how well their defence is.
It was an absolute nail biter in the dying minutes, but there would have been a collective sigh of relief for the home team when Wallace Bruce put the ball over the line and a successful conversion from Mason Williams resulted in the 40-30 final score.
Cowboys coach Justin Toomey-White said it was a "different" game, and they knew it would be tough, especially after backing up from their 28-10 victory over the Dubbo CYMS the previous weekend.
"But the boys did well to stick in to the game," he said.
"Sometimes those kind of games shape your season. But I'm very proud of the boys to stay in it."
The Cowboys coach said the game was at times tit-for-tat.
"We knew that Parkes were going to come here and play for the full 80 minutes. We knew that we had a battle on our hands and that's credit to Parkes." he said.
The Cowboys have seven consecutive wins under their belt and currently sit second on the leader-board behind CYMS.
When asked how it felt to be doing so well, Toomey-White wasn't looking too far ahead, saying they would just take it a week at a time.
Consistency not only wins you games but it shapes your season, the Wellington coach said.
"We're slowing adapting to the team and everything, but just consistency will be key for us," Toomey-White said.