The Cowboys currently sit in sixth position on the NRL ladder, but a loss against the Bulldogs on Friday night has the potential to severely derail their season.
Although they are on 24 competition points, they share that total with another four teams including the Sea Eagles, Broncos, Knights and the Tigers.
In-form sides such as the Rabbitohs and the Eels are only one point further back from claiming a position in the top eight.
Indeed, a Cowboys loss could see Neil Henry’s men drop to as low as twelfth position on the table, if most results go against them.
A win however would only propel the Cowboys into fifth position, considering the Melbourne Storm are five points ahead of Nth Qld in fourth place.
Even if the Cowboys do beat the Bulldogs, Neil Henry’s men may still find themselves in sixth position by the end of the round, if the Panthers account for the out of form Broncos at Suncorp stadium this Sunday.
All in all, the Cowboys game against the Bulldogs is a must win for Neil Henry’s men, even though there are still three rounds remaining after this one.
After a costly loss against the Storm last week, the Cowboys will no doubt be looking to muscle up against a weakened Bulldogs outfit that will be missing Origin player Ben Hannant for a month due to a hamstring injury.
It is a major blow to the Bulldogs, considering Hannnat has been the corner stone to their successes upfront this season.
No doubt the Bulldogs will feel his loss tremendously against the most dominant front row combination in the NRL.
Cowboys forwards Shane Tronc and Matthew Scott have made a combined total of 4760 metres, which is the most out of any forward combination in the competition so far this year.
Although much of their work goes unoticed thanks to the constant brilliance of captain Johnathon Thurston and fullback Matthew Bowen, both Tronc and Scott hold the key upfront against a Bulldogs pack that makes do with workaholic players David Stagg, Andrew Ryan, Greg Eastwood, Michael Hodgson and Chris Armit.
No doubt if Tronc and Scott play their best football upfront for the Cowboys, the entire Bulldogs defence will have its work cut out stopping Thurston and co. from dictating terms.
Indeed it will be crucial for the Cowboys to start well against the Bulldogs, considering the home side are great frontrunners at home.
If the Cowboys do run away winners against the Bulldogs, it will set up a finals charge up north that will be difficult to stop heading into early October.
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