Warriors fullback Roger Tuivasa-Sheck effortlessly shimmied and skipped through the Cowboys defence for one of the best individual tries in recent memory in the NRL.

The gutsy Warriors hung on grimly for a precious victory, winning 23-16 despite struggling desperately in the second half, as their defence stood firm in North Queensland on Friday.

A first half blitz of tries inside 10 minutes proved to be pivotal and Tuivasa-Sheck's stunning 70m solo effort in the 18th minute silenced the home crowd in Townsville.

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Roger Tuivasa-Sheck celebrated his comeback from injury in impressive style against the Cowboys. (FILE PHOTO),

Running from dummy half, the skipper dashed through a hole in the Cowboys' line after stepping inside and running clear, and left with only Michael Morgan beat, Tuivasa-Sheck stood up the Queensland fullback/five-eighth with some breathtaking footwork to score the Warriors' second try on the night.

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Morgan suffered a bicep injury in his attempted tackle and was forced off after 27 minutes when the Warriors had moved into an 18-2 led.

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The Warriors hung on for victory in Townsville.

Ken Maumalo and Solomone Kata also dotted down and both of their tries were assisted by their 25-year-old captain, who was returning from an ankle injury against the Cowboys.

Tuivasa-Sheck celebrated his comeback in style, with the highlight his sensational 70m try, as the Warriors finally won two games on the bounce following an inconsistent few months of results.

 - Stuff