JAKE Granville was rated a bench player at best just six months ago as he wasted time on Brisbane’s bench, now he’s winning NRL games for North Queensland with last minute tries.

Granville scored a hat-trick in a thrilling victory for the Cowboys in Townsville as they overcame an awful start to beat New Zealand 28-24.

Granville’s last game for the Broncos saw him hooked after seven minutes.

Now the mop-haired, surf loving, rake is wearing the Cowboys No.9 jersey and on form is among the top three hookers in the NRL.

He scored two tries in the final eight minutes to grab a spectacular come from behind win for North Queensland.

It is a remarkable turn around in fortune for the likable Rockhampton carpenter.

For once Johnathan Thurston took a back seat, even in his 250th game.

Granville, 26, is in his third year with Cowboys coach Paul Green after the pair won back to back premierships for Wynnum Manly.

“He’s his son,” Thurston said of their bond.

Granville had an option to stay at Brisbane this year but declined it to reunite with Green.

Green said there never a question Granville would eventually make it, he was too talented not to.

“It was pretty obvious if you had been watching him for a long time,” he said.

“I obviously have a long association with him and I have seen him do that for years so I’m happy to see him do at this level because I knew he would.”

The Cowboys were coming off a short turn around.

They dominated the Rabbitohs on Monday night in a 30-12 win but that left them just four full days to recover before last night’s brutal affair.

It showed, as New Zealand led for almost the entire game.

A Granville dive from dummy half brought the Cowboys to within two points with nine minutes remaining.

Then with one minute remaining, he repeated the same play for the winning score.

Warriors captain Simon Mannering revealed the Warriors knew Granville would dive from dummy half to score that try.

“I knew he was going to go but we weren’t good enough and he snuck under,” he said.

“That's the game ... one tackle.”

There remains one major issue for the Cowboys, their opening 20 minutes.

The Cowboys need to react quicker to be top four contenders.

They have conceded the opening try in all but one match.

North Queensland’s awful opening 10 minutes, which featured two restarts going out on the full, threatened to propel the Warriors to victory.

Playing 3,345 kilometres away from their Auckland home, the Warriors scored two tries in the opening nine minutes.

They then resorted to their typically error-riddled selves and let the Cowboys back in.

While Granville starred, prop James Tamou continued his resurrection.

Tamou may be confused about his future but the soap opera is helping his football.

Much-maligned during the past nine months, Tamou is showing everyone why Raiders coach Ricky Stuart wants him to move south.

He made 75 metres in his first stint on the park, almost double the next Cowboys player.

Contracted until the end of 2016, Tamou wants to move to Canberra where his partner’s family live so their children can be raised with a support network.

The Cowboys need the Tamou from last night on their list.

His performances during the past month should keep him in a New South Wales jersey this year.

NORTH QUEENSLAND 28 (J Granville 3 L Coote K Linnett tries J Thurston 4 goals) bt NZ WARRIORS 24 (K Hurrell S Kata M Vatuvei J Wright tries S Johnson 4 goals) at 1300SMILES Stadium. Referee: Gerard Sutton, Grant Atkins. Crowd: 16,038.