The Brisbane Broncos and the North Queensland Cowboys are the two longest-standing Queensland clubs in the premiership. The Cowboys joined in 1995, when Brisbane were already two-time premiers, and the clubs have met 66 times in first-class matches since. For years their meetings were simply the Queensland derby; since the Gold Coast Titans (2007) and the Dolphins (2023) joined the competition, that name, and the sponsor’s XXXX Derby, has come to cover every all-Queensland match. This page sets out the all-time head-to-head record, the NRL record, the record in finals and in each era of the competition, and shows how a one-sided rivalry became a close one. A short section on the NRLW meetings follows the men’s figures.
Figures are complete to the most recent meeting: North Queensland 18–10 Brisbane at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville, on 25 July 2026.
All-time record: first-class matches
Brisbane lead the all-time series by 20 wins: 42 to 22, with 2 draws. They have also scored far more points, 1,686 to 1,221. Brisbane won the first meeting, in April 1995, so North Queensland have never led the series or even drawn level. Brisbane’s lead peaked at 22 wins after their 38–30 win in Townsville on 30 August 2025. The Cowboys have won both meetings since.
NRL record (1998–)
Since the NRL began in 1998, the clubs have met 62 times: 56 in the regular season and 6 in finals. Brisbane lead 39 to 22, with one draw, and on points 1,546 to 1,159. Almost all of that lead was built before 2004: North Queensland did not beat Brisbane until their 17th meeting. Since that first win, the derby has been close. From 2004 to now, Brisbane have won 29 and North Queensland 22, with no draws, and the points are 1,138 to 1,028. Since 2010 it is 21 wins to 18.
Finals record
Finals are where the Cowboys have had the better of their neighbours. They have won 5 of the 6 finals meetings, including the only grand final between the clubs, and scored 130 points to Brisbane’s 88. Brisbane’s only finals win over North Queensland is the 2015 qualifying final, 16–12 at Suncorp Stadium. Four weeks later the Cowboys won the grand final 17–16 in golden-point extra time, for their first premiership.
Record by competition
| Competition | Played | Brisbane wins | Drawn | North Queensland wins | Brisbane points | North Queensland points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARL premiership, regular season (1995–1996) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 78 | 26 |
| Super League (Australia) premiership, regular season (1997) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 62 | 36 |
| NRL premiership, regular season (1998–) | 56 | 38 | 1 | 17 | 1,458 | 1,029 |
| Finals (2004–2016) | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 88 | 130 |
| Total | 66 | 42 | 2 | 22 | 1,686 | 1,221 |
Finals
The clubs have met six times in finals, all between 2004 and 2016, and North Queensland have won five. Their first ever win over Brisbane came in the 2004 semi-final: 10–0 in Townsville, where Brisbane had agreed to play the match. They beat Brisbane again in elimination finals in Townsville in 2012 and 2014. In 2015 the clubs met twice in a month. Brisbane won the qualifying final at Suncorp Stadium, then lost the first all-Queensland grand final in golden-point extra time. The most recent finals meeting, the 2016 semi-final, also went to extra time, and the Cowboys won it 26–20.
| Date | Round | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Sep 2004 | Semi-final | North Queensland 10–0 Brisbane | Dairy Farmers Stadium, Townsville |
| 8 Sep 2012 | Elimination final | North Queensland 33–16 Brisbane | Dairy Farmers Stadium, Townsville |
| 13 Sep 2014 | Elimination final | North Queensland 32–20 Brisbane | 1300SMILES Stadium, Townsville |
| 12 Sep 2015 | Qualifying final | Brisbane 16–12 North Queensland | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| 4 Oct 2015 | Grand final | North Queensland 17–16 Brisbane (golden point) | ANZ Stadium, Sydney |
| 16 Sep 2016 | Semi-final | North Queensland 26–20 Brisbane (extra time) | 1300SMILES Stadium, Townsville |
Wins by decade
For the first decade it was barely a contest. Brisbane were unbeaten in the first 16 meetings, from 1995 to April 2004, winning 14 and drawing 2. They won 16 of the 20 meetings in the 2000s. The 2010s were almost level, Brisbane 13 wins and North Queensland 12, helped by the Cowboys’ run of finals wins. In the 2020s Brisbane lead 8 to 6.
| Decade | Played | Brisbane wins | Drawn | North Queensland wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| 2000s | 20 | 16 | 0 | 4 |
| 2010s | 25 | 13 | 0 | 12 |
| 2020s | 14 | 8 | 0 | 6 |
Streaks, margins and crowds
Brisbane hold every streak record. Their longest winning run is 9, from March 2000 to April 2004, inside a 16-match unbeaten run that started with the first meeting. They have also won 7 in a row (July 2007 to August 2010) and 6 in a row (March 2023 to August 2025). North Queensland’s best is 3, which they have managed three times: March 2006 to March 2007; all three meetings of 2012, the first time either club had beaten the other three times in a season; and May 2016 to March 2017. Over the last 10 meetings Brisbane lead 6 to 4, but the Cowboys won both 2026 meetings: 35–31 at Suncorp Stadium in April and 18–10 in Townsville in July.
The biggest win is Brisbane’s 58–4 at ANZ Stadium in April 1998. They also won 58–14 there in 1996, the highest-scoring meeting, with 72 points. North Queensland’s biggest win is 36–4 at Suncorp Stadium in March 2006. The lowest-scoring meeting is the 2004 semi-final (10–0). The derby has been tight more often than the overall record suggests: 7 meetings have been decided by a single point and 17 by four points or fewer.
The biggest crowd is 82,758, for the 2015 grand final in Sydney. The biggest in Queensland is 50,612, at Suncorp Stadium on 28 March 2008. In total, 2,016,488 people have watched the 66 meetings, an average of about 30,550.
Home ground has mattered less than usual. Brisbane have won 21 of 30 at home, with 1 draw and 8 defeats. In Townsville they have also won 21, with 1 draw and 13 defeats, from 35 matches. North Queensland never beat Brisbane in seven visits to ANZ Stadium, Brisbane’s home ground until 2003. At Queensland Country Bank Stadium, the Cowboys’ home since 2020, Brisbane lead 4 to 3.
NRLW
The Cowboys joined the NRLW in 2023, and the clubs have met once a season since. Brisbane have won all four meetings, by a combined 178 points to 32. The last two have both ended 50–4.
| Date | Result | Venue | Crowd |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Aug 2023 | Brisbane 40–12 North Queensland | Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville | 22,659 (double-header) |
| 1 Sep 2024 | Brisbane 38–12 North Queensland | Totally Workwear, Brisbane | Not recorded |
| 13 Sep 2025 | Brisbane 50–4 North Queensland | Totally Workwear, Brisbane | 1,593 |
| 4 Jul 2026 | Brisbane 50–4 North Queensland | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | Not published (double-header) |
About these figures
Results, dates, venues and crowds are compiled from published match records, for first-class matches, finals and the NRLW. Only first-class matches are counted. That leaves out two NRL Pre-Season Challenge matches: Brisbane 20–18 in February 2023 and Brisbane 46–20 in February 2024. With them, the record would be 44–2–22 from 68. The 1997 meetings, in the Super League (Australia) competition, are counted as premiership matches. The 2015 grand final, played in Sydney, is treated as a neutral match in the home and away figures. The first meeting was on 8 April 1995, a 20–12 Brisbane win at Stockland Stadium, Townsville. Stadium names are those used at the time. Clubs are listed alphabetically throughout.
