North Queensland Cowboys v Penrith Panthers
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Cowboys v Panthers preview
Cowboys look to avoid three-straight losses against undermanned Panthers
The North Queensland Cowboys will be desperate to bounce back on Thursday night after a disappointing 30-14 loss to Melbourne last week. Paul Green's men came up with 15 errors and 39 missed tackles as they failed to avenge last year's Grand Final defeat. Any team that produces numbers such as those will struggle regardless of their opposition and improvement will be needed from the home side if they are to prevail tomorrow night. Fullback Lachlan Coote will begin his comeback from injury through the Intrust Super Cup rather than being thrust straight into first grade this week.
While the Cowboys will be determined victory this week given their recent form, the Panthers will be just as eager to return to the winner's circle as they attempt to prove that they can succeed without halfback Nathan Cleary. The promising youngster has been a primary reason for Penrith's rise in recent years yet Anthony Griffin's side will likely have to do without him for the next 6-10 weeks as he recovers from a Grade 3 MCL injury. As a result, responsibility falls directly onto the shoulders of James Maloney, who is now given an opportunity to prove his worth to the Penrith faithful. The Mountain Men enjoyed 59% of the ball in last week's match with the Bulldogs yet failed to convert this into points. Therefore, without his dominant halves partner, Maloney will need to ensure his team work even harder to improve on their lack of execution in the opposition half. Utility Tyrone Peachey has been named to replace Cleary in the starting side while Samoan rookie Jarome Luai has been selected to make his first grade debut off the bench, likely filling in for Peachey at some point in the game.
Last meeting: Round 23 2017 - Panthers 24 Cowboys 16
The Panthers overcame the Cowboys 24-16 in Round 23 last year at Penrith. In North Queensland, however, the Panthers have struggled having not won at the venue since 2009.
Who to watch: Finishing the game against Melbourne with nine tackle-busts, two line breaks and two tries - it is safe to say that Penrith fans should be worried about facing Coen Hess on Thursday night. The barnstorming forward was able to penetrate Melbourne's usually indestructible defence on two occasions last week and Cowboys fans will be salivating at the thought of a charging Hess running at Penrith halfback James Maloney. The two-time premiership winner missed 14 tackles in last week's loss to Canterbury and should be an easy target for Jonathan Thurston when looking to put Hess through the line.
Speaking of Maloney, it is imperative that he stands up on Thursday night if the Panthers are any hope of victory. Without Cleary by his side, Maloney is now the sole playmaker for Penrith with Peachey primarily a stop-gap given his lack of a polished passing and kicking game. Given the Panthers' attacking woes in the opposition twenty, even more pressure will be placed on Maloney to deliver. If he cannot do so, however, question marks will immediately loom over Penrith's finals hopes given the lengthy recovery that Cleary faces before returning to the field.
The favourite: The Cowboys are well supported to claim their second win of the year.
My tip: As a Panthers fan, I actually prefer having little expectation and that is perhaps the only thing in Penrith's favour. Otherwise, the superiority of North Queensland's forward pack and halves pairing in particular should see them claim a dominant victory. Cowboys by 20.
1. Ben Hampton 2. Kyle Feldt 3. Justin O'Neill 4. Javid Bowen 5. Antonio Winterstein 6. Michael Morgan 7. Johnathan Thurston 8. Matthew Scott 9. Jake Granville 10. Jordan McLean 11. Gavin Cooper 12. Coen Hess 13. Jason Taumalolo 14. Te Maire Martin 15. John Asiata 16. Scott Bolton 17. Ethan Lowe
1. Dylan Edwards 2. Josh Mansour 3. Waqa Blake 4. Dean Whare 5. Christian Crichton 6. Tyrone Peachey 7. James Maloney 17. James Fisher-Harris 9. Peter Wallace 10. Reagan Campbell-Gillard 11. Viliame Kikau 12. Isaah Yeo 13. Trent Merrin 8. James Tamou 15. Corey Harawera Naera 16. Moses Leota 18. Wayde Egan
Referees: Gavin Badger, Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski; Sideline Officials: Belinda Sleeman, Clayton Sharpe; Video Referees: Jared Maxwell, Luke Patten;