Saturday’s NRL 2018 Round 8 match is between Nth Queensland Cowboys and Canberra Raiders. The opening kick is set to commence at 19:35 local time with the game to be played at 1300SMILES Stadium. The home team Nth Queensland Cowboys are the favourites for the match. View our preview and teams for the game between Nth Queensland Cowboys and Canberra Raiders.
When: 19:35 | Saturday 28/04/2018
Where: 1300SMILES Stadium
Preview:
Did that win provide the mojo the Cowboys were missing to ignite their 2018 season?
I get the feeling off the back of that win we might see the grand finalists go on a little run.
The signs were good from the likes of JT, big Jase and Hess.
It’s so handy also to be playing another home game.
The Raiders were however shown a good lesson from the Bunnies.
Searching for balance and consistency, the Raiders will have to take their ‘A game’ to Townsville.
KEY BATTLE: Coen Hess v Josh Papalii
The matchup of the big men will determine the result for mine.
The likes of Junior Paulo, Dunamis Lui, Josh Papalii against Matt Scott, Coen Hess and Jason Taumololo.
The winner of this battle will certainly play a huge part in having an influence in a victory.
The Verdict
Tough one to pick however, I’ll stick with the home team to make it two in a row.
Unibet Odds:
Nth Queensland Cowboys at $1.43
Canberra Raiders at $2.88
Odds:
OFFER: Deposit $50 BET with $200 via this link – Ends Soon!
Tip: Nth Queensland Cowboys at $1.45
Value Tip: First Try Scorer: Jordan Rapana at $11
More Info:
Teams:
Nth Queensland Cowboys:
1 Lachlan Coote, 2 Kyle Feldt, 3 Justin O’Neill, 4 Ben Hampton, 5 Antonio Winterstein, 6 Michael Morgan, 7 Johnathan Thurston (c), 8 Matthew Scott (c), 9 Jake Granville, 10 Scott Bolton, 11 Gavin Cooper, 12 Coen Hess, 13 Jason Taumalolo Interchange: 14 Te Maire Martin, 15 Shaun Fensom, 16 Corey Jensen, 17 Ethan Lowe Reserves: 18 Francis Molo, 19 Jake Clifford, 20 Enari Tuala, 21 Sam Hoare.
Canberra Raiders: 
1 Jack Wighton, 2 Nick Cotric, 3 Jarrod Croker (c), 4 Joseph Leilua, 5 Jordan Rapana, 6 Blake Austin, 7 Aidan Sezer, 8 Iosia Soliola, 9 Siliva Havili, 10 Junior Paulo, 11 Joseph Tapine, 12 Elliott Whitehead, 13 Josh Papalii Interchange: 14 Ata Hingano, 15 Shannon Boyd, 16 Luke Bateman, 17 Dunamis Lui Reserves: 18 Liam Knight, 19 Michael Oldfield, 20 Bradley Abbey, 21 Jack Murchie.
NRL News:
Last year’s grand finalists North Queensland have snapped a five-game losing streak with a convincing 26-14 victory over Gold Coast in Townsville.
Ben Hampton, Kyle Feldt, Jason Taumalolo and Coen Hess scored tries for the Cowboys, giving coach Paul Green exactly the boost he wanted after signing a new three-year contract.
Johnathan Thurston, helped by better play from his forwards, returned to form and was involved in each try, as well as being on hand to help deny Titans’ scoring chances on several of occasions.
After an opening half-hour, littered by penalties and handling errors from both sides, Hampton scored his third try of the season five minutes before the interval after a neat combination between Hess and John Asiata.
With five seconds remaining in the half, Feldt added to the score, this time Hampton providing the last pass before the winger dived over in the right corner for a 16-2 halftime lead.
The Titans started the second half brightly but could not apply scoreboard pressure. Taumalolo made them pay, taking an inside pass from Thurston 25 metres out and jinking inside a tackle before racing between the uprights.
Hess powered through three attempted tackles to extend the lead. The Titans’ scoreline was flattered by late tries to Ashley Taylor and Jarrod Wallace.
The only downside for the Cowboys, who move to just two wins out of the top eight, is a shoulder injury to Asiata.
The defeat is the Titans’ fourth of the season and their defence stands as the worst in the NRL, having conceded 197 points.
