- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
It’s panic stations for the North Queensland Cowboys as they travel to Wollongong to take on the resurgent St George Illawarra Dragons in Friday night football. Joins us for live scores and updates from 7.30pm AEST.
With both sides resting outside the top eight and neither having set the competition alight in 2013, tonight’s clash between the Cowboys and the Dragons shapes as both sides will be desperate to claim the two points on offer.
The Dragons were impressive in their win against Newcastle last round, with their second half comeback and new fullback Josh Dugan’s form the highlights.
North Queensland on the other hand were disappointing once again, with their lack of commitment in defence of particular concern to under fire coach Neil Henry.
Whilst the Cowboys will welcome back superstar five-eighth Johnathan Thurston, his inclusion is tempered by the loss of representative front rower James Tamou for an alcohol-related infringement.
Prediction
Both teams go into tonight’s clash with opposing problems. Where the Cowboys have a leaky defence, whilst the Dragons have struggled to put points on the board.
Expect the Dragons to once more try to get as much ball as possible to Blues aspirant Dugan and his potential NSW teammate Brett Morris in the quest for early points.
The Cowboys will also have to keep a close on the Dragons new centre and Ben Creagh lookalike Nathan Green, who has made an impressive start to his NRL career.
In the North Queensland sheds don’t expect the Cowboys to go into their shells, as with their season slowly slipping away and the knowledge that a loss could be the final straw for popular coach Neil Henry, the men from up North are likely to throw everything at the red V.
With a quality roster it’s only a matter of time before they click, and if old heads Glen Hall and Dallas Johnson can help to tighten up their tackling around the ruck then they are in with a shot.
For mine though I can’t go past the home side, I’m tipping the Dragons by four.
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.