Parramatta Eels

On Friday night the fans showed their appreciation while former teammates also heaped praise on the rugged No.9.

Told he and Corey Norman were the only players at the club on enough money to fix the club's cap issues if they were moved on, Peats accepted the situation that was well beyond his control and not of his making like a champion, penning an 18-month deal with the Gold Coast Titans after near two-and-a-half years of dedicated service to the Eels in which he has put his body on the line like few other players.

With the 16,013 blue and gold faithful in full voice, blockbusting winger Semi Radradra scored a hat-trick in one of the finest all-round games of his impressive career to date but it was a resurgent Inglis, moved to five-eighth for the first time since 2011 who imposed himself on the second half to drag his side to victory by helping create two tries in the final 10 minutes to steal the win.

Controversy struck in the 66th minute when Eels five-eighth Corey Norman was sin-binned for obstructing Cowboys opposite Michael Morgan in an attempt to score off a Johnathan Thurston grubber kick.

It was an untimely exit for Norman, as his side had a slender and unlikely 16-14 lead at the time.

Johanthan Thurston levelled the game off an ensuing penalty goal, while the Eels were left to rue playing with 12 men as North Queensland ran away with a huge win in the end.

Norman landed awkwardly on his head right before half time, ending his night, after star recruit and halfback Kieran Foran was a pre-game withdrawal.

The Broncos took a little while to get going but never looked like conceding the game even before Norman was injured, which happened with Brisbane up 14-4.

For the visitors, winger Corey Oates was heavily involved, scoring one try and setting up another, while both halves Ben Hunt and Anthony Milford worked their way into the match well.

For the home side an aggressive recruitment drive that yielded Kieran Foran, Michael Jennings, Beau Scott and Michael Gordon - and an early piece of silverware that came back with them in excess baggage from the Downer NRL Auckland Nines - has given one of the heartiest home crowds great cause for optimism.

For those cheering on last year's runners-up, a settled roster that has seen the addition of James Roberts to replace the retired Justin Hodges in the centres means the Broncos will carry the tag as premiership favourites into the season opener.

Young star Bevan French scored his eighth try of the tournament and prolific winger Semi Radradra his sixth in the rousing win in which the Warriors struggled to get out of their end, let alone threaten the Eels consistently.

Shaun Johnson's short kick-off to start the game was handled by the Eels and when a spiralling midfield bomb on the last from Luke Kelly floated past the last line of defence and shot into the in-goal, tournament top try-scorer French was on hand to make it 7-0 under the posts just 90 seconds in.

Storm try-scorer Tohu Harris was proud of what his side were able to achieve at the Nines, with few tipping Melbourne to make it deep in the tournament.

"Nobody sort of gave us a chance but we thought we had come up with a quality side, one that works hard for each other," Harris told NRL.com.

"I guess everyone else will think we're overachievers but we knew we were better than what we came up with in the last game. Unfortunately we faced an in-form Parra team and it just wasn't to be."

Having missed five seasons following drug trafficking charges, the former Dragon and Knight's trimmed-down frame helped him to an impressive NRL comeback in 2015 before a shoulder injury ended his season in Round 19 after 16 appearances.

Wicks told NRL.com he'd be ready to resume contact work when the side returns after the Christmas break having been hampered throughout 2015.

"Yeah it's going really well actually. Everything's on schedule," he said.