Roar Guru
The Raiders can just about kiss their finals hopes goodbye following another poor performance at home against the Cowboys tonight.
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Final score
Canberra Raiders 18
North Queensland Cowboys 31
The Canberra Raiders have underperformed all season and need to beat the North Queensland Cowboys tonight to kickstart a premiership assault that has so far fired blanks. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 7:30pm AEST.
It has a been a painfully underwhelming season so far for Raiders fans, with their team losing six matches already this season by six points or less.
The Raiders still have a positive points differential but the Green Machine still isn’t firing when it counts to secure competition points.
As it stands, the Raiders, a premiership fancy at the start of the season, now need to replicate their awesome winning run last year to give themselves a hope of securing a top eight birth.
Indeed a top four birth appears unlikely, given that teams in the top four last season only ended up losing eight matches overall.
The Raiders have already lost nine games so far and still face difficult assignments against premiership contenders, such as the Melbourne Storm, later in the year.
Tonight, the Raiders simply must get back into the winner’s circle against a Cowboys side minus the great Johnathon Thurston.
With that said, the Cowboys are punching above their weight this season, defeating a full strength Panthers side last week up in Townsville.
Despite the absence of Thurston and Matt Scott, the Cowboys under Paul Green possess a winning mentality forged after securing victory in the epic 2015 Grand Final against the Brisbane Broncos.
With or without Thurston, the Cowboys remain a dangerous team and will punish the Raiders if the home side once again start off in lacklustre fashion.
Prediction
Its do or die for Canberra tonight. The Raiders on their day remain one of the most entertaining and skilful teams in the competition, but a lack of composure has cost them dearly this season.
The Cowboys won’t roll over easily but the Raiders close to their best should get the job done at home.
Raiders by 12