Round 2: Cowboys v Raiders preview
Contrasting fortunes face off in Townsville
Coming off last-gasp results in the opening round respectively, the North Queensland Cowboys and the Canberra Raiders will be out to improve when they face off in Townsville on Saturday evening.
Opening a season with back-to-back home matches for the first time since the club's victorious premiership campaign, the North Queensland Cowboys will be looking for greater cohesion in attack after managing a single try over the opening round.
Going down to the Bulldogs 6-4 last Sunday after a late bunker intervention correctly denied the side victory, coach Todd Payten will be hoping his side can deliver a win on home soil for the first time since Round 12 last season.
Elevating young forward Griffin Neame onto the bench with Jordan McLean starting in place of injured prop Jamayne Taunoa-Brown, Mackay junior Mitchell Dunn will celebrate a milestone by playing his 50th game for the club.
Hoping to open a season with back-to-back wins for the third year in succession, the Canberra Raiders will be out to continue a strong recent run of form in Townsville.
Winning three of their past four visits to North Queensland, after losing nine straight visits between 2007-17, coach Ricky Stuart will be eyeing another committed performance from his players to back up last Friday's come-from-behind 24-19 over the Sharks.
Elevating Tom Starling to the starting side with Josh Hodgson sidelined with a knee injury, Adrian Trevilyan will make his first grade debut in jersey 14, while Matt Frawley will take over at halfback after Brad Schneider was forced to isolate due to a positive COVID-19 result.
Last meeting: Round 7 2021 - Cowboys 26 Raiders 24
Who to watch: Producing an eye-catching display last Sunday in only his fifth appearance in the top grade, Cowboys young gun Jeremiah Nanai will be looking for further improvement in a bid to elevate the side towards their first win of the season. Running for over 150 metres and producing a line-break against the Bulldogs, the 19-year-old second-rower garnered plenty of plaudits for his efforts, most notably being the youngest current forward to play 80 minutes during the opening round. Set to attract plenty of attention in the transfer market as an off-contract forward, expect Nanai to enhance his value with another strong showing on home soil.
Finishing the opening round with the third most tackle breaks of any player in the league, Raiders young gun Matt Timoko will be out to continue his impressive start to the season. Producing a strong showing against the Sharks with 85 running metres, a try-assist, two offloads and eight tackle breaks, the 22-year-old Auckland native has yet to cross for a try in his previous 12 appearances in the top grade. Facing off against Peta Hiku in a key personal battle, look for Timoko to stake a strong case for more game time as Jarrod Croker continues his recovery from injury.
The favourite: While the Cowboys hold a slender 7-6 advantage over their weekend opponents in the years since Ricky Stuart reteamed with the Green Machine, the bookmakers have favoured the Raiders to get the job done on Saturday evening.
My tip: Having shown greater aptitude in attack and the resilience to snatch victory at the death during the opening round, the Raiders will rate their chances of leaving North Queensland with a 2-0 record. Raiders by 10.
