Live: Eels hang on as Cowboys’ game-winner overturned in last minute

North Queensland coach Todd Payten opens his press conference with a joke …

“I thought the on-field ref got it right. I’ve seen Mitchell [Moses] dive over the years plenty of times.”

Now, Payten was an assistant at the Tigers in Moses’s time there, so he is given the chance to clarify and acknowledges there was some milking happening, the bunker was right to take the last-minute try off the Cowboys …

“I know Mitchell; he’s cheeky, he’s been doing it for a long time.”

Hard to argue with the call to take the try off the Cowboys, even though it will break North Queensland hearts. Yes, Mitchell Moses milked it, but Jake Clifford caught the ball on the inside shoulder and it was a cut-and-dry call for the bunker.

Cowboys have to be better with their timing.

For the Eels, what a difference Moses makes. He steers this team around and has the best kicking game in the league, and then has the nerve to step up in those clutch moments like few others.

Would have been very interesting to see this young Parramatta side with him in the driver’s seat all season.

Liam Kennedy says it’s a try on the field for Jake Clifford, but the bunker steps in.

Clifford caught the ball on the inside shoulder of Jeremiah Nanai, and Mitchell Moses took a dive to sell the obstruction.

The Cowboys had them stretched and shot to bits on the left, but some ragged line running and a few mistimed runs have cost them.

Josh Addo-Carr can’t handle Jake Clifford’s wobbling bomb, and Reuben Cotter regathers with a full set of six with 50 seconds left!

Tallyn Da Silva is staying down trying to get a penalty.

He was hit high, but not enough for the bunker to intervene, so it remains 19-18.

Luke Lewis is furious in the ABC Sport commentary box.

“That is poor sportsmanship. That’s like a soccer player. I hate that,” he says.

Parramatta’s main man makes it look so easy as he collects the pass from Joash Papalii and just lofts it over from 35 metres out.

Credit the Eels’ defence for that because they’ve ensured the Cowboys can’t get out of their half for the past 10 or 15 minutes of this match.

Eels lead by one with five minutes left.

The Eels have the ball on the last 2 metres from the tryline, but Tallyn Da Silva tries a dummy-half scoot, only to get mobbed and forced into a turnover.

Mitchell Moses was screaming for the ball and lets Da Silva know all about it.

“Tallyn, you f***ing c***!” he screams after the play.

Luke Lewis is frustrated on ABC Sport: “They had to go to Mitch Moses. If he wants the ball you have to get it to him.”

The Cowboys field a bomb and spin it right, but Braidon Burns’s pass is a shocker and Semi Valemei can’t handle.

The Eels sense a chance to pounce on the loose ball, but the ball hits the legs of a Cowboys trainer running back behind the line.

Referee Liam Kennedy says it’s a “mutual infringement” and the Cows keep possession.

I think Zac Laybutt would have got there first, but there may have been a dropout.

The Eels surprise the Cowboys by throwing the ball left to Dean Hawkins on the last and Semi Valemei, clearly expected Mitchell Moses to kick right to Zac Lomax, is in all sorts as he runs back to try to mark.

He can’t get even a finger to it, but luckily the ball bounces away from the Parramatta chasers and straight to Scott Drinkwater, who sets off up field.

John Bateman has the ball stripped by Ryley Smith, then Zac Laybutt cops a high shot from Junior Paulo off the tap.

The Cowboys have a fresh set inside Parramatta’s half.

But Dearden’s kick at the end of it is flubbed, barely making contact as he tries to grubber in behind.

Not been his best outing thus far.

Jeremiah Nanai gets through and wins the battle for a high ball, forcing the error from Joash Papalii and into the hands of Jaxon Purdue, who skips past Zac Lomax to score.

Laybutt converts, and we’re all square at 18!

Semi Valemei intercepts a Joash Papalii pass and races 50 metres before being tracked down by Josh Addo-Carr and Ryley Smith.

The Cowboys immediately spin it left and Jaxon Purdue’s tap-on sends Braidon Burns over in the corner.

Burns gives Zac Lomax a serve after the Eels star had a bit to say to Burns for giving away a dumb penalty at the other end of the field.

The conversion misses and the Cowboys are trailing 12-18 as we approach the final 25 minutes.

Jake Clifford pinches the ball from Zac Lomax in a one on one tackle, but the Cowboys can’t take advantage of the full set in good field position.

Tom Dearden sees space and grubbers, but it’s trapped by Jack Williams, who regathers the ricochet with some great hustle.

He gets a ball to Josh Addo-Carr, and Zac Laybutt crucially drags him down as he gets the ball. Could’ve been a long-range try if he didn’t.

Pace, power and precision from the Eels and Will Pensini storms onto a ball against a ragged defensive line, carrying Braidon Burns over the line as he slams it down.

Mat Doorey takes the first hit-up for the Eels.

An interesting game in terms of momentum, with both teams having their moments, but the Eels are icing theirs better.

They’re also making really easy metres at times and the Cowboys’ defence is looking typically flimsy.

I’m expecting the Eels to run away with this one, but you never know. If the Cowboys can get some ball and get their footy on, they can score in a hurry.

Parramatta is storming up the field and ends the set with high kick for a flying Zac Lomax, but even he can’t catch that one, knocking on with his outstretched right hand.

Mitchell Moses pokes in a grubber off the outside of the boot and Semi Valemei doesn’t have enough hustle to track the ball down before Josh Addo-Carr, who bursts into space and manages to get the ball down.

And he hits the Indigenous dance after the fact, ending with the Adam Goodes-esque fake spear throw.

Zac Lomax converts and it’s 12-8 to the Eels.