Roar Guru
The North Queensland Cowboys are looking for an 11th straight NRL win when they play the Canberra Raiders. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 3pm (AEST).
Canberra are stuck in the middle of the ladder, with this strange season putting them in seventh position despite a 6-7 record.
One of the more exciting teams to watch this season, they’ve mixed good wins (Rabbitohs, Sea Eagles, Tigers, Knights) with bad losses (Dragons twice, Roosters, Broncos).
A win in this one would stabilise their season, and they’ve got the Cowboys at the perfect time as well, as one would expect them to rest a number of their Origin stars.
One could argue the Cowboys are the luckiest team in the NRL right now. With last-ditch wins over the Storm, Warriors and Sea Eagles, and an epic comeback against the Eels a fortnight ago, North Queensland could (and most probably should) be 6-7, not 10-3.
The Raiders have named the same 17 that beat the Knights a fortnight ago. Coach Ricky Stuart has a healthy list, and the consistency that this team is providing will help their finals chances.
The Cowboys have one confirmed change, with Ray Thompson making way for Rory Kostajasyn on the bench. However with Michael Morgan, Johnathan Thurston, Matthew Scott and James Tamou backing up from Origin on Wednesday, expect a couple of late changes.
Prediction
If these two teams come out as named, the Cowboys will be too strong. Thurston and Morgan have been the form halves pairing in the competition, and they should guide the side to a comfortable win. Cowboys by 12.
However, if there are late changes made, the Raiders will certainly have a sniff. They haven’t been a bad side this season, and they’re certainly capable of an upset. Raiders by 4.