Dragons v Broncos preview

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Old foes face off to keep seasons alive

Slumping to a fourth straight loss and with their finals hopes hanging by a thread, the Dragons return to Wollongong on Thursday night with the stakes at an all time high. With an inability to trouble opposition defences continuing to plague the joint venture, coach Paul McGregor will be hoping the Dragons winning run in Wollongong holds firm on Thursday, after previously knocked off North Queensland and Mebourne earlier in the season. In the only named change from the side beaten 13-10 by Canterbury last week, Will Matthews has been named to start in place of the suspended Joel Thompson, while Tyson Frizell will also miss the clash after failing to have his contrary conduct charge overturned by the NRL judiciary. In Frizell's absence, expect Dunamis Lui to come onto the bench.

After starting 2016 in spectacular form, the Broncos face the seemingly unthinkable prospect of missing the finals unless they arrest their plateauing season in a hurry. Suffering a 32-16 loss to the 15th placed Roosters last Thursday, coach Wayne Bennett will be looking for a dramatically improved effort from his side in order to keep a distance from the likes of the ever-improving Titans and Warriors. While history may be with the Broncos in recent seasons, coming away with 10 wins from 11 previous clashes, the spark that saw last season's Grand Finalists begin the season as competition favourites has disappeared, leaving the Broncos in a precarious position heading into the match. In a major boost to their chances, Brisbane have been able to recall internationals Josh McGuire, Sam Thaiday and Matt Gillett from suspension and injury in a move that may prove decisive for the visitors.

Last meeting: Round 6 2016 - Broncos 26 Dragons 0

Who to watch: In a side that has struggled to score points in 2016, Euan Aitken has been the Dragons best attacking weapon to date. At just 21-years-old, the Country Origin centre has made his presence felt this season, continually improving with each performance to cement a position in first grade after starting the season out of favour with coach Paul McGregor. Recording over 100 metres in his past ten appearances, Aitken shapes as a game breaker for the Red and Whites as they face a season defining match on Thursday.

It's impossible to pinpoint the Broncos mid-season decline on a single factor, but one of the most telling indicators has been the involvement of fullback Darius Boyd over the past two months. Starting 2016 in phenomenal touch, Boyd has managed over 100 metres on just one occasion since Origin I, coinciding with Brisbane's fall from premiership favourites to top eight hopefuls. Garnering a reputation for his no-fears running style, the 29-year-old former Clive Churchill Medalist will be looking to replicate his Man of the Match performance against the Raiders in Round 14 on Thursday to help the Broncos get back on track after a run of losses.

The favourite: While both sides have struggled in recent weeks, the Dragons inability to conjure points has Brisbane favoured to come away with two points.

My tip: With so much to play for the Broncos have to win this game if they are any chance of having an impact in September. Broncos by 12.

1. Adam Quinlan 2. Kurt Mann 3. Euan Aitken 4. Taane Milne 5. Jason Nightingale 6. Gareth Widdop 7. Benji Marshall 8. Russell Packer 17. Jake Marketo 10. Michael Cooper 19. Tyrone McCarthy 12. Will Matthews 13. Jack de Belin
Interchange: 9. Mitch Rein 14. Tariq Sims 16. Jacob Host 21. Luciano Leilua

1. Darius Boyd 2. Corey Oates 3. Tom Opacic 4. James Roberts 5. Lachlan Maranta 6. Anthony Milford 7. Ben Hunt 8. Josh McGuire 9. Andrew McCullough 10. Adam Blair 11. Sam Thaiday 12. Matt Gillett 13. Corey Parker
Interchange: 14. Jarrod Wallace 15. Tevita Pangai Junior 16. Jai Arrow 17. Alex Glenn

Referees: Ben Cummins, Dave Munro; Sideline Officials: Nick Beashel, Dave Ryan; Video Referees: Bernard Sutton, Steve Chiddy, Luke Patten