- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
The North Queensland Cowboys have won a fast-paced game over the New Zealand Warriors by 12 points in Townsville on Saturday night.
Final score
North Queensland Cowboys 24
New Zealand Warriors 12
It will be a ding-dong battle when the red-hot North Queensland Cowboys run into the inconsistent and highly unpredictable New Zealand Warriors. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 7:30pm (AEST).
After Origin 2, you’d have been hard pressed to find a Cowboys supporter who liked the look of their side’s chances for a legitimate finals push.
They got beaten up in the Origin period, and more significantly, lost their playmaker and leader, Johnathan Thurston, to a season ending shoulder injury.
Fast forward a month, and the Cowboys are looking to make it four straight victories when they clash with the Warriors.
A lot rests on the shoulders of Michael Morgan, who has been simply outstanding in recent weeks, filling in the void left by Thurston. He has been ably supported, however, by Lachlan Coote, and last week particularly, Jake Granville, who tore the Bunnies to absolute shreds in Cairns.
The Warriors on the contrary, are experiencing what North Queensland did a few weeks ago. Star playmaker Shaun Johnson has a PCL injury and will be missing for at least six weeks. In an attack that looks fragile at the best of times, this is an enormous loss for the 11th-placed New Zealand outfit.
They still have threats in players like Kieran Foran and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, however all eyes will be on Mason Lino as he attempts to steer the team around in the absence of their usual playmaker.
The Warriors would’ve been mightily disappointed with their results in the Origin period. Winning only three from six despite having lost few to rep duty could well haunt them come finals, and tonight is the perfect opportunity for them to galvanise and return to their winning ways.
Where the game will be won
The Cowboys spine in recent weeks has been phenomenal, and that’s where this encounter will be decided. If Morgan, Coote and Granville show the same form they have in recent weeks, the Warriors will struggle to keep up with the pace of the game.
The Warriors could explode early and register initial scoreboard pressure, though, and expect Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Kieran Foran to step up in the absence of Shaun Johnson.
That being said, it’s a danger game for the Warriors, and they’ll do well to beat a confident and in-form Cowboys side playing at home.
Prediction
The Cowboys will continue their hot streak. Michael Morgan will turn on the flair, and the Cowboys outside backs will have a field day.
Cowboys by 16.
Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match, starting from 7:30pm (AEST).
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.