Monday’s only NRL Round 15 match is between Newcastle Knights and Nth Queensland Cowboys with the opening kick to commence at 19:05 local time. The game is to be played at Hunter Stadium which see’s home team Newcastle Knights hold favouritism in the market. View our NRL live scores, odds and results for the game between Newcastle Knights and Nth Queensland Cowboys.
Where and when: 19:05 | Monday 23/06/2014 @ Hunter Stadium
Preview:
Looking for their first win in seven weeks and only the third for the year, not many gave a hope to the Knights when they took on the Roosters last week however, leading 12 – 6 at halftime, an upset appeared on the cards.
Unfortunately for the Knights, that’s where their scoring ended whilst the Roosters clicked into gear and ran in four second half tries to register a 29 – 12 victors.
Although their record reads poorly, the Knights have narrowly lost to West Tigers (3 points), Manly (1 point) and Canterbury (4 points) in recent weeks and last round’s score-line wasn’t a true reflection on their courageous performance.
However, just as winning is a habit, so to is losing and for the Knights, it’s a hard one to break in 2014.
The Knigths have named both the Origin players (Boyd and Scott) in the starting line up for this game and will also welcome back Kurt Gidley who’ll take on the Hooker role.
It gives the Knights one of their strongest line-ups for the year.
COWBOYS
The Cowboys’ lost to Parramatta 18 – 16 in round 13, their most recent match, means that they are still yet to register a win on the road this season.
The were no excuses against the Eels who continually invited the Cowboys back into the contest late in the game with several poor plays but the Cowboys, who have scored an average of 12.8 points when away from home as compared to 29 when hosting sides, just aren’t the same side when the leave Townsville.
With this game being the fist of four away games over the next five weeks, the Cowboys have to find a remedy to the solution and fast as they sit precariously in tenth spot on the ladder.
Each of their origin players (Thurston, Scott, Tamou and Tate) have been named in this side so any fallout from Wednesday’s Origin should be closely monitored, and Tariq Sims returns to the line-up.
HEAD TO HEAD
Newcastle can only claim one win from their past six games against the Cowboys and importantly for the visitors, they’ve won three of those matches in Newcastle.
When the sides last met back in round 5 up in Townsville, the Cowboys were comprehensive 28 – 8 victors.
It’s hard to take either side with a great deal of confidence at the moment given the Knights current state of mind and the Cowboys record away from home but if looking for a flutter, something small on the points being under might be the way to go.
Teams:
KNIGHTS: 1. Darius Boyd 2. James McManus 3. Dane Gagai 4. Joseph Leilua 5. Akuila Uate 6. Jarrod Mullen 7. Tyrone Roberts 8. David Fa’alogo 9. Kurt Gidley 10. Willie Mason 11. Beau Scott 12. Robbie Rochow 13. Jeremy Smith 14. Adam Clydsdale 15. Korbin Sims 17. Chris Houston 18. Joseph Tapine 19. Clint Newton
COWBOYS: 1. Michael Morgan 2. Matthew Wright 3. Brent Tate 4. Kane Linnett 5. Antonio Winterstein 6. Johnathan Thurston 7. Ray Thompson 8. Matthew Scott 9. Rory Kostjasyn 10. James Tamou 11. Ethan Lowe 12. Tariq Sims 13. Scott Bolton 14. Robert Lui 15. Glenn Hall 16. Ashton Sims 17. Jason Taumalolo
News:
With a calmly slotted 30th-minute penalty goal, Queensland playmaker Johnathan Thurston added to his celebrated career by becoming State of Origin’s greatest pointscorer on Wednesday night.
Nailed from virtually straight in front in Game II At ANZ Stadium, the kick had none of Thurston’s trademark hook, but it ensured his legacy would become greater still.
Footballers habitually say milestones are something that don’t really matter at the time, rather something they will look upon when their careers are over. But Queensland’s 6-4 loss, that finally relinquished their Origin crown, is not a game Thurston will remember fondly.
Thurston’s 40th Origin goal, added to his five tries, pushed him to 162 points in interstate football in his 29th game, pushing him past Queensland coach Mal Meninga’s haul of 161 points in 32 games.
The 31-year-old Thurston, who is still likely to have a number of seasons of Origin football ahead to build on his record tally, kicked the first points from a 14th-minute penalty goal and added to that with his record-breaking kick in a low-scoring game in which points were at a premium.
Thurston’s two goals were the sole points scored in the first half as Queensland went into the break with a 4-0 lead, seeking to keep their record eight successive series winning streak alive after NSW won Game I three weeks ago, 12-8.
Any points were so important that NSW skipper Paul Gallen gesticulated wildly at Josh Reynolds when the Blues’ five-eighth turned down an easy shot at goal to opt for a quick tap in the 19th minute.
By his high standards, Thurston had a quiet game but, with eight minutes remaining, Queensland still held the upper hand.
That was until Blues halfback Trent Hodkinson sliced through the Maroons’ goalline defence as Thurston had done so many times himself before to the Blues, to score the try for the home side before 83,421 delirious fans and then kicking the match-winning conversion.
“Full credit to New South Wales – it was a great game to be part of,” Thurston told the Nine Network post-game.
