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The Canterbury Bulldogs will be looking to cement their position inside the top eight after the representative break when they host a North Queensland Cowboys side still without Johnathan Thurston. Join The Roar for live scores7:50pm (AEST).
The Bulldogs showed some impressive form in the lead-up to representative round, winning four of their last five matches, but they will now have to move forward without Josh Reynolds who has gone down with injury.
After a slow start to the season, the Bulldogs have recovered to get back inside the top eight, taking some pressure off what was a struggling attack.
Matt Frawley has been a breath of fresh air off the bench and with Reynolds out, he will have a chance to start in the halves alongside Moses Mbye, who has been under some pressure alongside struggling hooker Michael Lichaa.
While the Bulldogs have won four of their last five, it still hasn’t been domination on their part, and they will be looking to get back to their best, in particular up front where they have been at times lacking.
The forward battle is going to be an important part in deciding this game, with Matt Scott out for the season for the Cowboys. That leaves the pressure on Jason Taumalolo, and as yet the pack without Scott hasn’t been living up to the lofty expectations set.
While Thurston is out with a shoulder injury he picked up playing for Australia, it won’t be a foreign concept to the Cowboys who have been without their superstar for the last few weeks, after he suffered a calf injury.
What North Queensland will have on the positive front is the return of both Lachlan Coote and Jake Granville, who suffered injuries and left the pressure heaped on Michael Morgan. With some of that relieved, as well as Ray Thompson shifting into the halves, Morgan won’t be the only creator on the park which should lift his game.
Given the Cowboys currently sit outside the top eight and suffered a dreadful loss to the Parramatta Eels at home last time out though, the pressure is right on them to turn things around.
Interestingly, the Cowboys have won four of their last five against the Bulldogs despite being well down on the overall record between the sides.
Prediction
I’m taking the Cowboys with Coote and Granville back, but it should be a close game. There isn’t a clear cut winner here.
Cowboys by 4.
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