A stunning second-half comeback gave North Queensland Cowboys a dramatic 40-26 win over Parramatta in their NRL clash in Townsville on Saturday night.

The Eels led 16-10 at halftime and were in front until the 70th minute, the Cowboys getting home thanks to late tries to Johnathan Thurston and Glenn Hall.

Parramatta fullback Jarryd Hayne put himself in the box seat for NSW Origin selection with a master performance, scoring one try and setting up two others.

Hayne helped Parramatta to a 16-point lead inside 30 minutes.

But the Cowboys hit back with two tries before halftime, with centres Antonio Winterstein and Willie Tonga getting on the scoreboard in the 35th and 40th minutes respectively.

Hayne continued where he left off in the second half, setting up tries for Casey McGuire and Joel Reddy in the first 10 minutes after the break.

But as in the first half, the Cowboys hit back through Origin hopeful Tonga when he barged his way over after receiving a Bowen pass in the 60th minute.

Winger Kalifa Faifai Loa's try put the Cowboys even closer with a diving effort off a Bowen cut-out pass on 65 minutes.

The 13,160 fans at Dairy Farmers Stadium were in raptures in the 70th minute when Faifai Loa's overhead flick found Thurston in space and the co-captain scored then converted to give his side a two-point lead.

Hall confirmed the dramatic Cowboys win when he crossed in the 75th minute before Thurston bagged his second try of the night in the final minute of the match.

"We needed points and I felt if we could get to 26-16 and within a couple of tries (we could come back)," he said.

Henry was ecstatic with the great escape and credited his side's self belief.

"Credit to the boys to hang in there at 16 points down. It hasn't happened for a long time and it certainly wouldn't have happened last year," Henry said.

"It shows there's a fair bit of spirit to come back like that and the boys have got it in them."

Parramatta coach Stephen Kearney said conceding 30 points in the last 20 minutes was simply not acceptable, and he was dumbfounded as to how his players could let the lead slip.

"Maybe we thought we were comfortable but when you've got the likes of Thurston .... they're going to terrorise you for 80 minutes and not put the cue in the rack, but I'm not even too sure if we were thinking that way," Kearney said.

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