Check out the match preview and prediction for the round 15 clash between the Raiders and Cowboys.
MATCHDAY NEWS
MATCHDAY SCHEDULE
Canberra Raiders Vs North Queensland Cowboys
Venue: GIO Stadium, Canberra
Date: Friday June 14, 18:00
MATCHDAY TEAM NEWS
Raiders: 1. Jordan Rapana, 2. Nick Cotric, 3. Matthew Timoko, 4. Sebastian Kris, 5. Xavier Savage, 6. Ethan Strange, 7. Kaeo Weekes, 8. Josh Papali’i, 9. Danny Levi, 10. Joseph Tapine, 11. Hudson Young, 12. Elliott Whitehead, 13. Morgan Smithies, 14. Tom Starling, 15. Ata Mariota, 16. Trey Mooney, 17. Emre Guler, 18. Albert Hopoate, 19. Zac Woolford, 20. Peter Hola, 21. Simi Sasagi, 22. Hohepa Puru
Cowboys: 1. Scott Drinkwater, 2. Kyle Feldt, 3. Valentine Holmes, 4. Viliami Vailea, 5. Murray Taulagi, 6. Tom Dearden, 7. Chad Townsend, 8. Jordan McLean, 9. Reece Robson, 10. Reuben Cotter, 11. Heilum Luki, 12. Jeremiah Nanai, 13. Jason Taumalolo, 14. Sam McIntyre, 15. Thomas Mikaele, 16. Kulikefu Finefeuiaki, 17. Griffin Neame, 18. Braidon Burns, 19. Harrison Edwards, 20. Tomas Chester, 21. Jaxon Purdue, 22. Jamal Shibasaki
Referee: Chris Sutton
Embed from Getty ImagesMATCHDAY PREVIEW
There is only one change for the Raiders from their round 13 match, coming off the bye last week. Hudson Young is back in the starting side after missing the last game with Origin duty, with Ata Mariota dropping back to the bench, and Simi Sasagi out of the 17.
Both Murray Taulagi and Reece Robson are back for the Cowboys after they were unable to back up from Origin, with Braidon Burns and Harrison Edwards dropping out of the side. Jordan McLean also returns from injury, with Griffin Neame named on the bench. Jeremiah Nanai is back in the starting side, as well as Jason Taumalolo at lock, and Kulikefu Finefeuiaki returning to the bench.
This clash is an important one for both sides, with the Raiders searching for a top four spot, while the Cowboys need a win to stay in touch with the top eight.
The Cowboys were very disappointing in a heavy 42-12 defeat to the Warriors last week. Defence has been an issue all season for Todd Payten’s men, as only the Eels and Rabbitohs have conceded more points this year.
Attack hasn’t exactly been a strength for the Raiders, so if the Cowboys can keep them to a respectable score, a full-strength side should be able to score enough points. It’s been an inconsistent season for star fullback Scott Drinkwater, but if he is at his best, the Cowboys are definitely in with a shot.
The Raiders’ last contest was a thrilling Golden Point win over the Dolphins in round 13, thanks to a pair of Jordan Rapana field goals. A negative for-and-against is the only thing currently keeping the Raiders outside the top four, but a win here and a Dolphins loss would see them move into that all-important position.
The Cowboys have won the past four matches between these two sides, but they have struggled to find any consistency this year. The Raiders, with home field advantage, should be too strong.
Head-to-head stats can be found at Number Crunch Stats.
MATCHDAY PREDICTION
Check out all the NRL Predictions here.
Raiders by 14 points.
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