Match Centre

Round 4: Broncos v Cowboys preview

Andy previews the upcoming battle between the Brisbane Broncos and the North Queensland Cowboys at Suncorp Stadium, Milton / Yuggera-Turrbal.

Unbeaten Cowboys looking to rope bruised Broncos

Friday nights don't get much bigger than a Queensland derby at Suncorp Stadium. The Broncos will host The North Queensland Cowboys, and it will be a case of an immovable object coming up against an unstoppable force. 

A good home record and game record against the Cowboys won't be enough as an undermanned Brisbane side takes on an unbeaten Cowboys team looking to get their first 4-0 start to a season since 2007, and it could be their best chance.

If the loss of Reece Walsh to a facial fracture and Payne Haas to knee surgery wasn't enough, young gun Brendan Piakura injured his ankle in training on Tuesday. But there is some hope, as Brisbane coach Kevin Walters announced Adam Reynolds will be running this Friday to captain the team. It's the steady head the Broncos will need after an uncoordinated effort and loss against Penrith last round. Walters said one of the problems from their round 3 loss to the Penrith Panthers was that players were trying to do work on their own and voiding any team effort to get back in the game. The veteran half-back Reynolds will instil the cool head and structure needed to guide the quality players the Broncos are still fielding for the Friday night blockbuster.
 
Tristan Sailor, filling in for the injured Walsh, will also enter the fray. "Tristan is going to get his opportunity and a good block of footy to show everybody what he can do," Walters said.  Corey Oates will be on the bench this round, and it is a chance for the big winger to get a taste of premiership footy for the first time since Round 27 last year.

The Broncos have been averaging 30-plus missed tackles a game, a worrying trend for Coach Kevin Walters and something that will need to be addressed.

Cowboys coach Todd Payten is under no illusion that his team's current form is good but not top-four good. Payten feels an early pre-season has given the Cowboys an edge in endurance compared to where they were last year. But knows that when they take on top teams, it's handling errors, which separate the wheat from the chaff. Happy with how his team dug in after an early scare to St. George-Illawarra last round, Payten says that if they don't learn to defend their errors, they will pay every time. A team like the Broncos are capable of turning other teams' errors into easy points.

The Cowboys will still be without some of their top forwards, Helium Luke, who is expected back in round 9. The only change Payten has made to his undefeated team for the last round is the return of centre Zach Laybutt, who rolled his ankle during a captains run before the round 3 game against the Dragons.

Last meeting: Round 23 2023 - Cowboys 14 Broncos 30

Who to watch: Tristan Sailor will be biting at the bit to show he has earned the call-up to fullback and will be pleased to have the little general in Reynolds guiding the ball around the field.  Young winger Deine Mariner has impressed this year and is currently leading the tries scored in the premiership. Mariner has shown he is more than just a finisher and has attacked his side of the field with speed and skills enough to keep any one marking him on their toes. Selwyn Cobbo gave it a red-hot go last round but couldn't make the dent on the scoreboard he was trying desperately to do; watch for Cobbo to take advantage of having the kicking game of Reynolds back in the arsenal.

Valentine Holmes had a cracker of a game, making nearly 250 run meters, 21 hit-ups, and a couple of line breaks for good measure. He will be out to show he is one of the best centres in the game, and his battle against the Broncos pairing of Kotoni Staggs and Selwyn Cobbo will be one to watch. Reece Robson may be a quiet achiever, but the NSW hooker is proving problems around the ruck this year, and he is right up there with try assists. Robson's defence effort was notable last round as well. If he decides to go on the attack in the middle, the Broncos poor missed tackle form could become a factor and something Payten has the hooker put into question.

If Scott Drinkwater and Tom Dearden decide to run on the night, they will cause havoc and likely be the standouts.

Favourite: There's not much in it, but the Cowboys are just edging ahead. Their unbeaten run against the Broncos, who are missing some strike power, puts them as a favourite just.

My tip:  Todd Payten is backing his team and not making changes to a winning formula. Their last two wins this year have been hard-fought, and they will take that into a game against one of the more dangerous sides in the competition. The Broncos will be getting Reynolds back, but they may have bigger defensive issues at hand. With yet another regular forward down, the Broncos may find this a bridge too far. The Cowboys to have too much swagger and win by two tries.