Brilliant Matt Bowen bursts out of form slump in North Queensland Cowboys' win Matthew Bowen on the attack for the Cowboys against the Raiders. WHEN Matt Bowen is firing, the Cowboys are firing. Those were the almost prophetic words of North Queensland co-captain Johnathan Thurston just three days before the fullback that has inspired thousands to want to play like him burst out a form slump that had him questioning his future. Bowen's mere presence was a boost for the Cowboys against Canberra in Townsville on Saturday night, giving them at the very least a second kicking option they desperately needed. But he did so much more: A try, a try assist, two line break assists and at least one try-saving tackle. More than anything, though, with the fluid on his knee that forced him out of last round's loss to Brisbane drained, Bowen had a spring back. He charged back at the defensive line on kick returns, getting North Queensland on the front foot, once sending Brent Tate on a 30m tear down field in the second half. The Cowboys' first try came from his neat little flick-on pass. It was simple in its execution, but the brilliance started much earlier. Bowen was nearly 40m away on the opposite side of the field a tackle before but, anticipating an opportunity, raced from the left to the right to create an overlap that sent centre Tate on a diagonal path to the tryline in just the third minute. It was again that ability to anticipate, and perhaps that uncanny sixth sense link between two players that only Bowen and his five-eighth Thurston could truly explain, that allowed the little No.1 to open his try-scoring account for 2013. Even before Thurston had his hands on the ball for the sixth-play option, Bowen was in full flight ready for the grubber into the in-goal. That magic was back. He was even pulling off try-saving tackles when he brought down a rampaging 101kg Joel Thompson one-on-one. Not that it was all diamonds for the 31-year-old, whose second attempted flick-on pass to Tate soon after North Queensland took the lead landed straight in the hands of Raiders flyer Edrick Lee, who streaked away to score under the posts. Even that, though, was only centimetres from brilliance, with Lee taking the odds to it as he stared down a two-on-one overlap. There was a heart-in-the-mouth moment mid-way through the first half when Bowen stayed down injured after contesting a bomb. But he eventually rose. And, with it, perhaps so have North Queensland's premiership hopes. NORTH QUEENSLAND 30 (M Bowen A Graham G Hall M Morgan B Tate tries J Thurston 5 goals) bt CANBERRA 12 (E Lee J Wighton tries J Croker R Robinson goals) at 1300SMILES Stadium. Referee: Gavin Badger, Alan Shortall. Crowd: 13,240.