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NRL Round 12 preview

24th May, 2016
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Newcastle Knights player Daniel Saifiti. (Photo: Joe Frost)
Roar Guru
24th May, 2016
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With State of Origin now just a week away, the NRL will have its first bye round of the 2016 season.

The depleted Brisbane Broncos will take on the Wests Tigers, while the Red V will be looking to get back into the top eight when they host the reigning premiers.

A win over the Raiders in the nation’s capital could see a new team enter the top four, with the Canterbury Bulldogs knocking on the door of some of the NRL’s top teams.

Then to wrap up the round, the Newcastle Knights go head-to-head with the Parramatta Eels in a bottom of-the-table clash.

Brisbane Broncos versus Wests Tigers
Friday, May 27, 7:50pm (AEST) at Suncorp Stadium

Corey Oates, Corey Parker, Darius Boyd, Josh McGuire, Matt Gillett and Sam Thaiday are all out due to State of Origin commitments, forcing Wayne Bennett to ring massive changes.

Jordan Kahu shifts to fullback, with Greg Eden and Lachlan Maranta on the wings. Meanwhile, Joe Ofahengaue moves into the starting side at prop, while Jaydn S’ua will debut in the back row, and Jarrod Wallace starts at lock.

Jai Arrow and Herman Ese’ese are on the bench, where they will be joined by utility Kodi Nikorima. Tevita Pangai Junior makes his NRL debut in jersey 16.

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The Broncos were unable to get the win last week in a grand final rematch against the Cowboys in Townsville. North Queensland star Johnathan Thurston iced a field goal to give the home side a 19-18 victory in front of a capacity crowd.

Regardless of the changes, Brisbane sit third on the ladder, with the highest points differential of any team in the NRL.

The Wests Tigers are also missing troops due to Origin, with Aaron Woods and Robbie Farah set to represent New South Wales.

Sauaso Sue returns off the bench and Tim Grant is promoted to the starting side, while Michael Chee-Kam is on the bench as a result of Kevin Naiqama’s return from a groin injury in the centres.

The joint venture just scraped home against the lowly Knights in a lacklustre performance at Campbelltown last week.

Luke Brooks and Mitchell Moses will dictate whether the Tigers cause the upset, with the rookie halves coming up against Anthony Milford and Ben Hunt, who have proven themselves as one of the game’s best combinations over the past two years.

Both sides will be without their regular skippers, Corey Parker and Aaron Woods, with Adam Blair and Chris Lawrence to captain their respective sides.

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The Broncos have dominated 24 meetings between the two clubs, with a massive 19 wins to the Tigers’ four and one draw.

Last time they met was in Round 19 last year, with Brisbane earning a massive 42-16 win at Lang Park.

Prediction
Anthony Milford and Ben Hunt will put on a show and continue to assert Brisbane’s dominance over the competition.

Broncos by 18.

What you need to know
Kickoff: 7:50pm (AEST)
Venue: Suncorp Stadium
TV: Live, Nine Network and Fox Sports
Last meeting: Broncos defeated Wests Tigers 42-16 (Round 19, 2015)
Head-to-head: 24 played – Broncos 19, Wests Tigers 4, 1 Drawn
Broncos last three games: 18-19 versus Cowboys, 30-6 versus Sea Eagles, 28-30 versus Sharks
Wests Tigers last three games: 20-12 versus Knights, 4-36 versus Bulldogs, 30-22 versus Rabbitohs

Brisbane Broncos
1. Jordan Kahu, 2. Greg Eden, 3. Jack Reed, 4. James Roberts, 5. Lachlan Maranta, 6. Anthony Milford, 7. Ben Hunt, 8. Joe Ofahengaue, 9. Andrew McCullough, 10. Adam Blair (c), 11. Alex Glenn, 12. Jaydn S’ua, 13. Jarrod Wallace
Interchange: 14. Jai Arrow, 15. Herman Ese’ese, 16. Tevita Pangai Junior, 17. Kodi Nikorima

Wests Tigers
1. Jordan Rankin, 2. David Nofoaluma, 3. Tim Simona, 4. Kevin Naiqama, 5. Josh Addo-Carr, 6. Mitchell Moses, 7. Luke Brooks, 8. Tim Grant, 9. Dene Halatau, 10. Ava Seumanufagai, 11. Josh Aloiai, 12. Chris Lawrence (c), 13. Elijah Taylor
Interchange: 14. Sauaso Sue, 15. Matt Ballin, 16. Kyle Lovett, 17. JJ Felise, 18. Michael Chee-Kam

Anthony Milford of the Brisbane Broncos and teammate Ben Hunt celebrate

St George Illawarra Dragons versus North Queensland Cowboys
Saturday, May 28, 7:30pm (AEST) at WIN Stadium

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Halves pairing Johnathan Thurston and Michael Morgan are unavailable due to Origin, with Ray Thompson and Jahrome Hughes named in the halves, while Ben Hannant and Scott Bolton are promoted from the bench, replacing Origin duo Matthew Scott and James Tamou.

Justin O’Neill is set to make his Origin debut after being named in Kevin Walters’ Maroons side and will be replaced by Javid Bowen in the centres.

Meanwhile, 19-year-old wrecking ball Coen Hess will come off the bench alongside Rory Kostjasyn.

The Cowboys will be relying on Jahrome Hughes to deliver in the halves, with the Townsville Blackhawks Queensland Cup star coming up against an experienced combination in England international Gareth Widdop and New Zealand rugby league legend Benji Marshall, who has been named to return from a hamstring injury.

The pair will lead the way for the Dragons in the absence of Josh Dugan and Tyson Frizell, who are replaced by Kurt Mann and Joel Thompson respectively, with Josh McCrone named 19th man.

The addition of Thompson and Marshall will prove a big boost for Paul McGregor’s side, who get the Cowboys at a good time. However, the fourth-placed side still possess a plethora of stars, including Lachlan Coote, Kyle Feldt, Jake Granville and the massive back row of Gavin Cooper, Ethan Lowe and Kiwi international Jason Taumalolo.

The Cowboys and Dragons have clashed 27 times since 1998, with North Queensland winning 15 fixtures to St George Illawarra’s 12.

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They met earlier in the year, in Round 5, when the Cowboys came away with a massive 36-0 victory at 1300Smiles Stadium.

Prediction
The experience of Widdop and Marshall will provide a massive boost for the Dragons, however the Cowboys will dominate the middle of the park. This fixture will no doubt be a close one, don’t be surprised if Coote starts at five-eighth and Hughes moves to fullback.

Cowboys by 4.

What you need to know
Kickoff: 7:30pm (AEST)
Venue: WIN Stadium
TV: Live, Fox Sports
Last meeting: Cowboys defeated Dragons 36-0 (Round 5, 2016)
Head-to-head: 27 played – Dragons 12, Cowboys 15
Dragons last three games: 24-34 versus Rabbitohs, 16-12 versus Raiders, 10-26 versus Warriors
Cowboys last three games: 19-18 versus Broncos, 14-15 versus Storm, 34-18 versus Sea Eagles

St George Illawarra Dragons
1. Jason Nightingale, 2. Kalifa Faifai Loa, 3. Euan Aitken, 4. Timoteo Lafai, 5. Kurt Mann, 6. Gareth Widdop (c), 7. Benji Marshall, 8. Leeson Ah Mau, 9. Mitch Rein, 10. Russell Packer, 11. Jake Marketo, 12. Joel Thompson, 13. Mike Cooper
Interchange: 14. Jacob Host, 15. Dunamis Lui, 16. Siliva Havili, 17. Will Matthews, 19. Josh McCrone

North Queensland Cowboys
1. Lachlan Coote, 2. Kyle Feldt, 3. Javid Bowen, 4. Kane Linnett, 5. Antonio Winterstein, 6. Jahrome Hughes, 7. Ray Thompson, 8. Ben Hannant, 9. Jake Granville, 10. Scott Bolton, 11. Gavin Cooper (c), 12. Ethan Lowe, 13. Jason Taumalolo
Interchange: 14. Rory Kostjasyn, 15. John Asiata, 16. Coen Hess, 17. Patrick Kaufusi

Canberra Raiders versus Canterbury Bulldogs
Sunday, May 29, 4pm (AEST) at GIO Stadium

Ricky Stuart’s Canberra will be without Queensland representative Josh Papalii, however they will be thrilled with the return of Iosia Soliola and Shaun Fensom, which pushes Luke Bateman onto a five-man extended bench.

Soliola and Fensom arrive just in time, with the Raiders coming up against one of the fiercest forward packs in rugby league, meaning the pair will need to step up, alongside the likes of Shannon Boyd and Elliott Whitehead.

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Canterbury five-eighth Josh Reynolds has sparked over the past fortnight, providing the blue and white with consecutive wins over the Wests Tigers and Sydney Roosters, as Des Hasler’s men cut their previous inconsistency.

Josh Jackson and David Klemmer have been named for the Blues, replaced by Adam Elliott and Danny Fualalo.

Josh Morris has been named to play for the Dogs despite being part of Laurie Daley’s 19-man squad, with Daley set to field Matt Moylan, Josh Mansour, Josh Dugan, Michael Jennings and Blake Ferguson next Wednesday night.

In 31 matches since 1998, the Bulldogs have been victors on 17 occasions with 14 wins to the Raiders.

Their most recent clash was in Round 5 this year, when the Green Machine silenced the Dogs of War at Belmore 22-8.

This time last year, the two sides produced one of the most entertaining matches of 2015, as the Bulldogs claimed a 41-34 victory in the nation’s capital, with the lead changing almost every time you dared bat an eyelid.

Prediction
The Bulldogs seem to have got their mojo back, but with two players absent due to Origin, they will lack go-forward and struggle against the Raiders in the middle.

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Raiders by 6.

What you need to know
Kickoff: 4pm (AEST)
Venue: GIO Stadium
TV: Live, Nine Network and Fox Sports
Last meeting: Raiders defeated Bulldogs 22-8 (Round 5, 2016)
Head-to-head: 31 played – Raiders 14, Bulldogs 17
Raiders last three games: 38-12 versus Warriors, 12-16 versus Dragons, 18-19 versus Panthers
Bulldogs last three games: 32-20 versus Roosters, 36-4 versus Bulldogs, 12-20 versus Eels

Canberra Raiders
1. Jack Wighton, 2. Edrick Lee, 3. Jarrod Croker (c), 4. Joseph Leilua, 5. Jordan Rapana, 6. Blake Austin, 7. Aidan Sezer, 8. Shannon Boyd, 9. Josh Hodgson, 10. Paul Vaughan, 11. Iosia Soliola, 12. Elliott Whitehead, 13. Shaun Fensom
Interchange: 14. Kurt Baptiste, 15. Jeff Lima, 16. Luke Bateman, 17. Joseph Tapine, 18. Clay Priest

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
1. Sam Perrett, 2. Curtis Rona, 3. Josh Morris, 4. Kerrod Holland, 5. Tyrone Phillips, 6. Josh Reynolds, 7. Moses Mbye, 8. Aiden Tolman, 9. Michael Lichaa, 10. James Graham (c), 11. Raymond Faitala-Mariner, 12. Greg Eastwood, 13. Tim Browne
Interchange: 14. Sam Kasiano, 15. Adam Elliot, 16. Danny Fualalo, 17. Craig Garvey

Bulldogs Josh Reynolds looks on

Newcastle Knights versus Parramatta Eels
Monday, May 30, 7pm (AEST) at Hunter Stadium

It will be a battle between 15th and 16th place when the NRL’s two bottom teams clash in Monday night football.

The two teams share just two State of Origin representatives between them, with Dane Gagai and Michael Jennings absent for the Knights and Eels respectively.

Nathan Brown has struggled to get his troops to compete, although the former Dragons mentor inherited a very inexperienced side after Wayne Bennett left the Knights in tatters two years ago.

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Brown will call upon Cory Denniss to replace Gagai with Jake Mamo playing at fullback.

An ankle injury has sidelined rookie half Brock Lamb for two months in a big blow for the Novocastrians who have already lost Jarrod Mullen, meaning Trent Hodkinson will be partnered in the halves by Jaelen Feeney. Meanwhile Jack Stockwell is replaced by Sam Mataora, the big prop having been one of the Knights’ best players so far in 2016.

David Bhana and Pat Mata’utia have been named on an extended, six-man bench.

The Eels’ season is all but over, with Brad Arthur’s team needing 12 wins in their last 13 games to be any chance of qualifying for the finals.

It is do-or-die football for the franchise, who have been riddled with off-field problems.

Kieran Foran made his return last week and has been named alongside Corey Norman in the halves again this week, with Jennings replaced in the side by Vai Toutai.

Semi Radradra is the Eels’ major attacking strength, and the Knights needing to shut down the Australian international if they are to stand a chance.

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The Knights have won 18 of the 32 matches between the two clubs with Parramatta taking the two points on the remaining 14 occasions since 1998.

There was just one match between the two clubs in 2015, the Eels defeating Newcastle 28-22 in Round 7.

Prediction
Parramatta will get their first win since the salary cap findings were handed down by the NRL.

Eels by 10.

What you need to know
Kickoff: 7pm (AEST)
Venue: Hunter Stadium
TV: Live, Fox Sports
Last meeting: Eels defeated Knights 28-22 (Round 7, 2015)
Head-to-head: 32 played – Knights 18, Eels 14
Knights last three games: 12-20 versus Wests Tigers, 0-62 versus Sharks, 0-38 versus Roosters
Eels last three games: 6-18 versus Storm, 20-22 versus Rabbitohs, 20-12 versus Bulldogs

Newcastle Knights
1. Jake Mamo, 2. Cory Denniss, 3. Sione Mata’utia, 4. Nathan Ross, 5. Akuila Uate, 6. Jaelen Feeney, 7. Trent Hodkinson (c), 8. Sam Mataora, 9. Danny Levi, 10. Daniel Saifiti, 11. Tariq Sims (c), 12. Pauli Pauli, 13. Jeremy Smith (c)
Interchange: 14. Tyler Randell, 15. Korbin Sims, 16. Josh King, 17. Mickey Paea, 18. David Bhana, 19. Pat Mata’utia

Parramatta Eels
1. Michael Gordon, 2. Semi Radradra, 3. Vai Toutai, 4. Brad Takairangi, 5. Clinton Gutherson, 6. Corey Norman, 7. Kieran Foran (c), 8. Junior Paulo, 9. Isaac De Gois, 10. Danny Wicks, 11. Manu Ma’u, 12. Beau Scott, 13. Tepai Moeroa
Interchange: 14. Kaysa Pritchard, 15. Peni Terepo, 16. David Gower, 17. Kenny Edwards

Roarers, who are you tipping in Round 12?

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