R21 Sat - COWBOYS v RAIDERS *Match Thread*

[Timmah]

North Queensland v Canberra
Saturday 4 August, 7:30pm
DAIRY FARMERS STADIUM, KIRWAN QLD
TIX > Cowboys.com.au
LIVE on FOX, ABC
LeagueUnlimited LIVE UPDATE

TONY ARCHER
Sideline Officials: Steve Chiddy, Gerard Sutton; Video Referee: Tim Mander

North Queensland Cowboys
Matthew Bowen, Scott Minto, Ashley Graham, Paul Bowman, Brenton Bowen, Ben Farrar, Johnathan Thurston (c), Ray Cashmere, Aaron Payne, Carl Webb, Sam Faust, Justin Smith, Sione Faumuina
Int - David Faiumu, Scott Bolton, Matthew Bartlett, Matthew Scott

Canberra Raiders
1. WILLIAM ZILLMAN, 2. DAVID HOWELL, 3. PHIL GRAHAM, 4. COLIN BEST, 5. BRONX GOODWIN, 6. TODD CARNEY, 7. MICHAEL DOBSON, 8. DANE TILSE, 9. LINCOLN WITHERS, 10. SCOTT LOGAN, 11. NEVILLE COSTIGAN, 12. GLEN TURNER, 13. ALAN TONGUE (c)
Int - 14. JOSH MILLER, 15. TOM LEAROYD-LAHRS, 16. MATT BICKERSTAFF, 17. JOE PICKER, 18. TREVOR THURLING, 19. BRETT KELLY

Gates open 5:00pm
CURTAIN RAISER > TBA

Elsewhere
QLD CUP > Central v North Qld Young Guns at Browne Park, 7:30pm
PREMIER LEAGUE > Canberra v Manly at Brookvale, 2:00pm Sat
JERSEY FLEGG > Canberra v Sydney Roosters at SFS, 12:15pm​

 

[gong_eagle]

Cowboys v Raiders preview

Wednesday, August 1, 2007 - 12:14 PM
The Raiders won’t have a better chance to make a real claim for a run towards the finals than this weekend against a hurting Cowboys’ unit who were embarrassed 54-10 by the Wests Tigers last Monday night.
Still two wins from the eighth-placed Cowboys with just five games to play, the Raiders need a win to stay in touch and give themselves a real shot at replicating or even bettering their seventh-place finish from last year.
They have a good record against the boys from the north of Queensland but when the pressure is on and they run out in front of a rabid Cowboys’ home crowd, will they be able to deliver?
The visitors have brought David Howell onto the wing for David Milne; have promoted Dane Tilse to start at prop for the injured Troy Thompson; have rushed Origin player Neville Costigan straight back into the starting side for Nigel Plum and have added Matt Bickerstaff, Joe Picker, Trevor Thurling and Brett Kelly to an extended bench as changes from the side that disposed of Penrith last weekend.
This game also shapes up as “bad boy” Todd Carney’s 50th in the NRL so he is likely to want to put in a performance to remember.
The home side named an unchanged line-up however Paul Bowman would have to beat a judiciary charge to take his place.
Graham Murray will have until an hour before kick-off to name a replacement should he desire to keep everyone guessing.
Considering South Sydney is just a win away from the Cowboys but with a far superior points differential, with a match-up against the last-placed Penrith happening at the same time, a loss here could easily see the home side fall out of the finals zone.
Watch out Raiders: Johnathan Thurston, Matt Bowen and co are coming for your left side.
A massive 43 tries have come on the left against the Raiders (their right-side defence) and the Cowboys would be mad not to attempt to go at them here and also up the middle where 25 more tries have been let by.
Watch out Cowboys: Raiders fullback William Zillman might not be as dangerous as your custodian in Matt Bowen but he is impressive nonetheless.
With 1,210 metres this year from kick returns he tops the NRL and is lightning fast off the mark when injecting himself into the backline.
Considering the amount of holes in the Cowboys’ defence, this is a game the elusive Zillman could really excel in.
Where it will be won: It will be all about defence when it comes to decide the winner of this one.
Sounds simple but both sides can and are likely to score plenty of points and the side who can hold the other out just that tad bit more will be the victors.
The Cowboys have more missed tackles than any other side this year with an uninspiring 835 – that’s just under 44 a match!
But the Raiders aren’t far behind, ranked 14th with 744 misses at 39 a match.
The message is simple – toughen up your ‘D’ if you want to post a ‘W’ rather than an ‘L’.
The History: Played 21; Cowboys 5, Raiders 16. The Raiders are a side the Cowboys have notoriously struggled against although they managed a tight 28-24 win over Canberra not that long ago in round 15.
The fact is the past seven matches between the two have been ultra close, with an average winning margin of just 2.57 points.
Conclusion: Thurston is carrying injuries and as such will have a huge target on his back.
But even hurt he is good enough to conjure up some magic.
Backing up after Monday night football is notoriously difficult, especially after being humbled, but if 20,000 Cowboys fans get out to this crucial clash they just might lift them to a necessary turnaround.
For Neil Henry’s men it’s truly crunch time, the young side needs to put it all on the line in a quest for glory.
Can they do it? Those who have written off the Raiders in recent years have been burned before.
Match officials: Referee – Tony Archer; Sideline Officials – Steve Chiddy & Gerard Sutton; Video ref – Tim Mander.
Televised: Foxsports 3 – Live 7.30pm
* Statistics: NRL Stats

http://nrl.com/News/Latest/NewsArticle/tabid/76/NewsId/6397/Default.aspx

 

[Mr Saab]

Raiders pathetic away record (although last start winners in NQ in GP) vs the Cowboys pathetic play fullstop.

Raiders in golden point again

 

[Raidersrawesome]

Bowman out.
I'll take a one point win , anything for an away win.

 

[Timmah]

Statistically speaking (Taken from Big League Magazine):

Head to head clashes (21)
CANBERRA 16
North Queensland 5
At Dairy Farmers Stadium (10)
Canberra 7
North Queensland 3

Last meetings
North Queensland 28-24 at Canberra, 2007
Canberra 15-14 at Dairy Farmers, 2006

Big wins
North Queensland 34-18 at Dairy Farmers, 2002
Canberra 66-10 at Canberra, 1996

Grand Finals
Never met in Grand Final

Under Archer
1 match (2005), North Queensland 1 Canberra 0

 

[Tipster]

Cowboys to win

 

[Raidersrawesome]

Any news on late changes to teams especially the make up of the Cows backline.
Raiders need this win bad , and we owe the Cows for them doing us at our home turf, the raiders will turn it on tonight , Carney to get MOM ( more deserving this week ) and raiders to win 13+

 

[raiders fan forever]

Minto moves to centres for cowboys thats all i know about Cowboys backline changes

 

[wittyfan]

Willy Zilly to be the difference.

Raiders by 8.

 

[bileduct]

Geez this has been fairly ordinary from both teams so far.

 

[bileduct]

Zillman is injured. Looks like a knee injury whilst trying to step Bowman. Looks like he's gone for a while.

It came at the end of an awesome line break too.

 

[bileduct]

Carney intercepts 5 meters out and runs the length of the field to score. Conversion successful. Raiders 6 - Cowboys 0

 

[macavity]

last time Carney ran that far the cops were chasing him..

 

[bileduct]

Raiders 12 - Cowboys 4. Picker bumped and 360ed his way to the line for a great try.

Looks like Tongue may have a reoccurance of his nose injury. Has been sent to the blood bin once already.

 

[wittyfan]

Poor Willy Zilly.

 

[PARRA_FAN]

Checking for double movement, looks like a try

Whats with the ladder, it shows teams tonight having draws. :?

 

[bileduct]

Tongue has been told to leave the field and get his nose injury cleaned up.

Cowboys are in at the 33 minute mark. Conversion unsuccessful. Raiders 12 - Cowboys 8.

 

[bileduct]

f**king hell... Raiders have opened up. Cowboys in to score as Farrar completes a double.

Conversion unsuccessful. Cowboys 12 - Raiders 12.

TLL has looked very soft so far tonight.

 

[bileduct]

Cowboys almost go again but final pass is called forward.

 

[PARRA_FAN]

Gee this would be cruel if they lost by 2-4 points.

but Canberra are already self destructing,