There are two NRL Round 7 matches today with the first match being between Nth Queensland Cowboys and Canberra Raiders with the game to be played in Townsville. The game is set to commence at 5:30pm local time with the home team Nth Queensland Cowboys holding clear favouritism in the race and look very hard to beat. View our live scores, odds and results for the game between Nth Queensland Cowboys and Canberra Raiders.
WHERE AND WHEN: Townsville, Saturday @ 17:30
Nth Queensland Cowboys $1.33 vs Canberra Raiders $3.40 at Sportsbet Australia
Nth Queensland Cowboys $1.35 vs Canberra Raiders $3.20 at Luxbet Australia
Preview:
The Cowboys take on the Raiders on Saturday at 5.30pm, with Canberra travelling to Townsville and hoping to win there for the first time in seven years. The Cowboys are struggling with just one win from their last five games however, and will be hoping for a boost from the return of Matt Bowen for this clash. While the return of Terry Campese is a big plus for the Raiders, the Cowboys go into this encounter as favourites at home.
Nth Queensland Cowboys:
Matthew Bowen, Ashley Graham, Brent Tate, Kane Linnett, Antonio Winterstein, Johnathan Thurston (c), Michael Morgan, Matt Scott (c), Rory Kostjasyn, James Tamou, Tariq Sims, Glenn Hall, Dallas Johnson
Interchange: Ray Thompson, Gavin Cooper, Scott Bolton, Jason Taumalolo, Ashton Sims (one to be omitted).
Canberra Raiders:
Reece Robinson, Sandor Earl, Jarrod Croker, Jack Wighton, Edrick Lee, Josh McCrone (c), Sam Williams, Tom Learoyd-Lahrs, Matt McIlwrick, Brett White, Joel Edwards Jake Foster, Shaun Fensom
Interchange: Terry Campese, Joel Thompson, Dane Tilse, Paul Vaughan.
Henry admits Cowboys need NRL win
North Queensland coach Neil Henry concedes Canberra’s Lazarus-like comebacks and aerial wing skills are a threat to the Cowboys turning the NRL corner in Townsville on Saturday.
The Raiders’ Houdini double against the Sydney Roosters and Warriors in recent weeks underlines their reputation for such improbable victories.
They were 16-0 behind against the Roosters but managed to get out of gaol and repeated the escape act against the Warriors after athletic young winger Edrick Lee plucked a Terry Campese cross-kick out of the air for a last-gasp 20-16 win.
Those kind of performances would make any coach nervous, especially one whose team was tipped to be the competition pacesetters but who have won just two of their six games.
“We need to win. We’re 2-6,” said Henry, aware how the pressure to change direction from 11th on the ladder has taken on a sudden urgency.
Henry is unlikely to take risks with representative winger Antonio Winterstein (groin), given Campese’s kicking game, after a successful return from injury against the Warriors.
Fijian flyer Kalifa Faifai Loa is on standby for Winterstein, rated 75 per cent right on Wednesday.
“We’ll make a decision after Tones (Winterstein) trains later today (Friday),” said Henry.
Henry said Raiders wingers Sandor Earl and 196cm Lee, who had designs to play basketball in the NBL, were both outstanding competitors in the air.
“Lee got a fantastic catch last week for the win,” he said.
“We have to be able to compete in the air.”
The Raiders will have a spring in their step after winning their past two games but it can’t mask their vulnerability playing away from home.
Canberra give up a disturbing 25.2 points a game, the most in the NRL, which – against a side blessed with strike players of the calibre of Johnathan Thurston, Matt Bowen, Kane Linnett and Brent Tate – is a major concern.
They can’t seem to fire on the road and will have to at least double their away average of less than eight points a game this season to beat a desperate Cowboys.
“We need to build on the confidence we got from the Broncos game. I thought it was a quality game,” said Henry.
Canberra will miss the aggression of Josh Papalii and Queensland and Australian prop Dave Shillington but don’t lose a great deal in size and power with 110kg hulk Tom Learoyd-Lars returning from injury.
It will be a big occasion for 22-year-old rookie prop Paul Vaughan, making his NRL debut and also for former Canterbury utility Jake Foster, playing his first game for the club.
A few Cowboys players, including Dallas Johnson and Gavin Cooper, were suffering a stomach bug on Friday but should be right to play.
