Cowboys v Titans preview - 2017 Round 13

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North Queensland Cowboys v Gold Coast Titans Saturday 7:30pm at 1300SMILES Stadium, Kirwan / Wulgurukaba

Queensland rivals meet in critical clash for both side's finals aspirations

The Cowboys will have to do without star halfback Jonathan Thurston for another week as they attempt to confirm their spot in the Top Eight against the Titans this week. However, in a further blow to their chances of doing so, centre Justin O'Neill has been ruled out of backing up from Wednesday night's Origin clash with Javid Bowen taking his spot in the seventeen. In saying this, for the first time in quite a while, Paul Green will have the luxury of a fresh, rested forward pack in the Origin period. He will certainly need lock Jason Taumalolo to lead from the front as the Cowboys look to overcome an underrated Gold Coast pack.

Meanwhile, the Titans have also been hit relatively hard by the Origin period with hooker Nathan Peats in severe doubt for Saturday night's clash. Centre Jarryd Hayne, however, will back up and will look to translate the confidence of Wednesday night's victory to club land as the Titans attempt to keep in touch with the Top Eight. Coach Neil Henry will hope his side can bounce back from their disappointing 30-10 loss to the Sea Eagles a fortnight ago. The Gold Coast had scored 30-plus points in the three games prior to that loss and had built the reputation as the competition's bravest side. Yet, Henry would have been particularly concerned by his team's lack of effort, especially in front of their home fans.

Last Meeting: The Cowboys overcame a persistent Titans outfit 32-26 at CBUS Super Stadium in Round 4 this year.

Who to watch: Mentioned earlier, if the Cowboys are to prevail, look out for a powerful performance from lock Jason Taumalolo. The 2016 Dally M Player of the Year has built upon last year's success, averaging a whopping 201.7 metres a game, 35 more than his 2016 average. If he can produce similar numbers this week, it will go a long way to helping his side's chances of picking up the points.

While the Cowboys have Taumalolo, it could be said that, given his price tag, the Titans would expect a similar output from star centre Jarryd Hayne. Hayne, who signed a new 2-year deal this week showed glimpses of his immense potential in the Blues' 28-4 win over Queensland. Hayne scored a try, broke four tackles and ran for 137 metres in a very polished performance.  Such numbers must be replicated in club land to justify his lofty price tag.

Favourite: Despite JT's absence, the Cowboys are expected to take down the Titans.

Tip: Very tough choice, but Peat's likely absence could prove critical in regards to weakening the Gold Coast's ruck defence. Cowboys by 6.

1. Lachlan Coote 2. Kyle Feldt 22. Javid Bowen 4. Kane Linnett 5. Antonio Winterstein 6. Ray Thompson 7. Michael Morgan 8. John Asiata 9. Jake Granville 10. Scott Bolton 11. Gavin Cooper 12. Ethan Lowe 13. Jason Taumalolo 14. Ben Hampton 15. Coen Hess 16. Shaun Fensom 17. Ben Spina 18. Kalyn Ponga 19. Johnathan Thurston 20. Corey Jensen 21. Sam Hoare 

1 Tyrone Roberts 2 Anthony Don 3 Jarryd Hayne 4 Konrad Hurrell 5 Dale Copley 6 Kane Elgey 7 Ash Taylor 8 Jarrod Wallace 9 Nathan Peats 10 Ryan James (c) 11 Chris McQueen 12 Joe Greenwood 13 Leivaha Pulu 14 Karl Lawton 15 Morgan Boyle 16 Paterika Vaivai 17 Nathaniel Peteru 18 Pat Politini 19 William Zillman 20 Max King 21 Eddy Pettybourne

Referees: Henry Perenara, Chris James; Sideline Officials: Clayton Sharpe, Nick Morel; Video Referees: Ashley Klein, Bryan Norrie;