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Its sudden death finals footy this afternoon as the in-form North Queensland Cowboys travel to Sydney to take on the Cronulla Sharks. Join us for live scores and updates from 4.00pm AEST.
In a roller-coaster NRL season, no two sides have experienced the dizzying highs and depressing lows as much as the Sharks and the Cowboys.
For Cronulla the ongoing ASADA investigations have cast a dark shadow over an otherwise impressive season, whilst for North QLD their poor form for much of the season will see coach Neil Henry leave the club at season’s end, even if he can do the miracle and secure the club’s first premiership.
All this controversy will mean little when the teams take to the field at Allianz Stadium today however, as two clubs with far loftier ambitions than a week one exit are sure to leave nothing in the tank.
Prediction
When these two sides met at Remondis stadium recently it was the visiting Cowboys who got the chocolates, mostly on the back of their ‘old firm’ of Johnathan Thurston and Matt Bowen.
These two will again be crucial to the Cowboys chances, as their speed will be crucial to navigating around Cronulla’s fearsome forward pack.
Also look for the North Queenslanders to send plenty of ball to their men out wide, an area where they have a noticeable advantage (on paper anyway) over the Sharks.
For Cronulla their all-star backrow of Gallen, Graham and Lewis will be a continual headache for the Cowboys, and their ability to offload in traffic can be almost unstoppable when they are on song.
Super sub Isaac De Gois is also likely to be a handful for the Cowboys, and is capable of lifting the tempo of his team with his darts out of dummy half.
Combine this with an on target Todd Carney kicking game and the Sharks have a team to rattle anyone in the comp.
This should be one hell of a match, and I’m going to go against the grain and tip North Queensland to make it seven on the trot in an upset.
Cowboys by four.
7:35am
Paul Attwood said | 7:35am | ! Report
Why can’t the NRL overturn the outcome in the Cowboy / Sharks game ? or at least replay the match.
The NRL has lost creditabity no guts.What do the NRL stand for?To give The Sharks this as a win,it wasn’t a win.Why are the Cowboys being treated as if their season does not mean anything ,they did not lose this match.What if this had have been a Grand Final and thattry was the decider,it is not too late to change this.
If Cronulla doesn’t like it who cares.
My family and I follow the Storm and if it was them in Cronulla’s situation same thing,change the result or replay,you have to do what’s fair
How do you explain this reasoning to the kids?
Yours Sincerely
Paul Attwood
8:23pm
V.O.R. said | 8:23pm | ! Report
Petition for Cowboys/Sharks rematch has close to 20,000 signatures and growing.
https://www.change.org/en-AU/petitions/north-queensland-cowboys-get-the-cowboys-back-into-the-finals-after-an-appalling-referee-decision
4:13am
Renegade said | 4:13am | ! Report
Refereeing performance was atrocious last night…. refs did everything possible to keep a QLD side in the comp, I can’t believe some of the comments on here, did the QLDers get a different feed???
I was at the game, and most people thought the Sharks were hard done by…
11:45am
John Walker said | 11:45am | ! Report
No kidding – that’s because the NRL control where the finals will be held.
How many Cowboys supporters can afford to fly down to Sydney?
When the refs discovered the error they should have disallowed the try that followed the 6th tackle.
Last year should have been a knock as well, which also robbed the Cowboys…
They are good team, and are getting screwed by the refs….
11:08pm
nopuritan said | 11:08pm | ! Report
it’s seems time for ICAC to have a look at the NRL.
If ever there was a case for a match to be replayed this is it.
10:43pm
al said | 10:43pm | ! Report
The journalists across the country have no guts to really drive the issues regarding the atrocious refereeing, we have seen. They are mostly on Murdoch’s payroll one way or the other, and he’s the main financial beneficiary of the NRL…Figure. What a bunch of cowards they are.
9:54pm
Red said | 9:54pm | ! Report
there is no 7th tackle so there for no points can be awarded, they must be taken off & the cowboys should be given the win.
An absolute disgrace!!!!!
9:41pm
thedon said | 9:41pm | ! Report
Both game winners today were decided by the Ref’s.
8:49pm
Peter Robertson said | 8:49pm | ! Report
That is it.
The NRL is so obviously fixed I will not watch it again.
You know it is an invalid score before half time and can’t do anything about it – how can we be expected to believe that!
7:12pm
Whiskey bravo said | 7:12pm | ! Report
Well done to the sharks…. Overcoming the adversity of the refs. Watching the game you would’ve thought that the refs wanted a QLD team to stay in the finals… It was ridiculous!
Cowboys won the penalty count and had all the calls…: sharks deserve to be in this comp.
And I’m a manly fan!
8:58pm
Matt said | 8:58pm | ! Report
Trollllll, trollll in the dungeon!
9:11pm
No Cigar said | 9:11pm | ! Report
And he’s not even that good.
10:30pm
al said | 10:30pm | ! Report
Muppet fans like you, Whiskey bravo, deserve to be shafted by the monkeys who run the NRL. HAHAHA. Personally, I won’t ever spend a single cent on Rugby League again. Game over. I stick to Football. It’s rare to see Football games being decided by referee blunders, and even rarer the big games.
6:48pm
NATO said | 6:48pm | ! Report
We’ll get over it in a couple of weeks. Does suck though! 3 years in a row for cows.
8:08pm
Meesta Cool said | 8:08pm | ! Report
Cowboy’s fans shhould not have to get over it!, this try was illegal and as such should be discounted,, Cowboys win!. or the game should be played again on a neutral ground. with Pommie refs.
I am sick of the decisions that are ruining this finals series, last nights were pathetic and todays managed to beat it!… at lweast Storm get the cance to make amenmds, Cowboys robbed again!.. it stinks!.
9:50pm
john badseed said | 9:50pm | ! Report
Qld deserve their own comp
12:00am
Roarsome said | 12:00am | ! Report
We’d love it but the Sydney comp would shrivel and die. NSW needs the ratings ($$$) from the non NSW teams.
12:10am
SVB said | 12:10am | ! Report
NSW doesn’t need anything. RL is the one that needs NSW. If Queensland started their own comp I don’t think anyone would even notice to be honest.
4:08am
Whiskey Bravo said | 4:08am | ! Report
It’s funny hearing the words illegal from a storm fan…. haha very funny!!
I hope we get to play the storm!!