Runaway tries to Josh Hoffman and Dale Copley allowed Brisbane skipper Darren Lockyer to savour his record-breaking 350th game with a win over North Queensland in Townsville on Friday night.

Unlike six days ago when it took a 79th minute Peter Wallace field goal to give Brisbane a 21-20 win over the Warriors, Lockyer was able to soak up to the occasion with the Broncos cruising home 34-16 with his parents David and Sharon and wife Loren among the 26,463 sellout crowd.

"It was nice to have the game in the bag with 10 or 15 minutes left so I could really enjoy it," said Lockyer.

The win gives Brisbane a real shot at finishing second with three games against Newcastle, South Sydney and Manly to round out the regular season.

Lockyer said the 350th game ball which he was presented with by NRL boss David Gallop would take pride and place.

"I got one for my 300th but we got beaten easily by Newcastle when the lights went out," he laughed.

"I'll swap them over."

As usual Lockyer was the cool head each time the Cowboys threatened a comeback before first Hoffman ran 80 metres to score in the 49th minute and late inclusion Dale Copley sprinted 75 metres in the 65th minute.

Hoffman, last year's player of the year and the man who stepped into the No.1 jumper after Karmichael Hunt's AFL defection, grabbed a career-first hat-trick in a night he will never forget.

The 22-year-old fullback, who has been building towards a big game, said he'd tried to get into some open space to give Lockyer a try on his special night.

"It was something special for me and it will hold a place in my heart," Hoffman said.

"To be out on the field with Locky was a dream come true, growing up and idolising him as a kid."

Hoffman, who is from Mackay and is eligible to play Test football for New Zealand, had his own fan club in the crowd.

"There was a big mob of my family screaming out, I think I could hear them at the end of the dead ball line.

"My dad Shane was in the crowd and I don't think he'll have a voice after tonight."

Cowboys co-captain Johnathan Thurston said his knee had come through the game "fine"

Coach Neil Henry offered no excuses but said his players had to learn to absorb the early pressure the Broncos applied to get to a 12-0 lead.

"On that performance we're not a top-four side and we need a better effort," he said.

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