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The Penrith Panthers have their eyes set on the top of the ladder as they take on the North Queensland Cowboys under lights in Bathurst. Join The Roar from 7:55pm (AEST) for live scores and coverage.
The Panthers are sitting in second position with a 6-2 record, just one win off dethroning the St George Illawarra Dragons at the top of the table.
The Chocolate Soldiers put in an up-and-down performance against the Bulldogs last Friday, recovering from a ten-point deficit.
Their forward pack were particularly impressive, taking the Dogs to battle in a gritty encounter led by James Tamou off the bench. However, Dylan Edwards dislocated his shoulder, putting him out of action for at least six weeks and possibly the rest of the season.
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak moves to fullback in place of Edwards, bringing former Fijian international Tyrone Phillips onto the wing for his club debut, as Isaah Yeo moves to centre, with Peter Wallace returning at hooker.
As for the Cowboys, they’re coming off a bitter 18-8 loss at the hands of the Canberra Raiders in Townsville.
North Queensland have struggled to find form in 2018, after a dream finals run at the back end of last season. The 2017 runners-up are yet to win away from home, having secured only two victories – against the Sharks and Titans.
Michael Morgan and Johnathan Thurston have failed to lay the platform and need to regain form to help get their team out of dire straits.
The Panthers and Cowboys have met 37 times throughout their history, with Penrith winning 20 times. They last played, in Round 4, the Panthers stood up in the absence of Nathan Cleary, declaring themselves as genuine contenders with an impressive 33-14 victory.
This is the fifth premiership game to be played at Carrington Park, Penrith winning the last three of their four fixtures in Bathurst since 2014. It will be the first time North Queensland have played at the venue.
Prediction
Penrith will continue their climb toward the top of the ladder with a big win.
Panthers by 14.
Join The Roar from 7:55pm (AEST) for score updates and debate in our live blog.
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