Cowboys v Sea Eagles preview

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North Queensland Cowboys v Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Saturday 5:30pm at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville / Wulgurukaba

Sea Eagles take off for Townsville and a miraculous top four berth

Last week in Redcliffe, Manly bombed more tries than the Bulldogs scored in an ugly 36-18 victory. Thanks to Tom Trbojevic, the dynamic fullback's three tries after the break saw Manly complete a miraculous run that has taken them from the basement after four rounds to fourth position just a week shy of the finals.

With an eye on a bigger fry up, Des Hasler's side idled from embarrassing to clunky in a match where several favourable calls covered the horrors. One of the lucky coaches with a mostly full strength lineup at his fingertips, Hasler will be mindful of resting too many stars given a loss could see the Sea Eagles finish as low as sixth spot on the NRL ladder.

Oddly enough, the last time these sides met, Manly smashed North Queensland 50-18 in the absence of Tommy Turbo. That was at Four Pines Park back in round 14, and with all the hubs and bubbles that have gone under the bridge since then, a trip to Townsville could be the timely getaway the Manly boys need.

A trip away was certainly the tonic for Todd Payten's Cowboys who stormed the beef capital of Rockhampton to round up the Dragons then ride them out of town to break a 10 game losing streak.

Marking just his fourth top grade win in 34 starts, Tom Dearden is the modern day Trevor Cogger. And just like the 80s Magpie battler, the North Queensland halfback's tenacity was finally rewarded. His guidance and change of fortune complimented up and comers like Jeremiah Nanai and veteran Jason Taumalolo who topped 200 metres for the first time since round 9.

A win for the Cowboys will see them finish 14th for the second consecutive season, while a loss could see them drop to 15th should the Broncos upset the Knights.

Manly are chasing a fourth straight win over the Cowboys and third on the bounce up north. This week marks the return of forwards Sean Keppie and Taniela Paseka. Curtis Sironen and powerhouse Toafofoa Sipley are the unlucky ones to miss out.

Last meeting: Round 14 2021 - Sea Eagles 50 Cowboys 18

Who to watch: Heilum Luki punched out 34 minutes last week and even bigger holes in the Dragons' defence. Just 10 games into his debut season, at 195 centimetres, the mobile back-rower is definitely one to watch. Scoring one of four Cowboys' tries in a hectic eight minutes in Rockhampton, this week the long strider goes head-to-head with Manly giant Haumole Olakau'atu in what promises to be the first of many fiery contests.

Never one to shirk a tough carry, Brad Parker is the reliable tradesman who rarely slides off a tackle. But with the fight for finals spots on the line, the local junior's jumper could be up for grabs. Fresh from limited opportunities, Moses Suli is the caged bear opponents fear. While Parker won't feature on newsreels like his shaggy teammate, he'll need to deliver his squeaky cleanest against the Cowboys to retain his spot.

The favourite: Manly are favourites to finish the regular season with four straight wins and two bites of the finals cherry.

My tip: With four hat-tricks in just 14 appearances this year, the smartest tip in Townsville this weekend should be on Tom Trbojevic to bag another. With 22 tries in 14 matches, more often than not the Dally M favourite makes Manly's scoreline look good even when the team shouldn't face the mirror. Manly by 16.

1. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow 2. Kyle Feldt 3. Valentine Holmes 19. Daejarn Asi 5. Murray Taulagi 6. Scott Drinkwater 7. Tom Dearden 8. Coen Hess 9. Reece Robson 10. Jordan McLean 11. Ben Condon 12. Jeremiah Nanai 13. Jason Taumalolo 14. Jake Granville 15. Heilum Luki 16. Mitchell Dunn 17. Griffin Neame 21. Connelly Lemuelu

1. Tom Trbojevic 2. Jason Saab 3. Brad Parker 4. Morgan Harper 5. Reuben Garrick 6. Kieran Foran 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 18. Toafofoa Sipley 9. Lachlan Croker 10. Martin Taupau 11. Haumole Olakau'atu 12. Josh Schuster 13. Jake Trbojevic 14. Dylan Walker 15. Karl Lawton 16. Sean Keppie 17. Taniela Paseka 19. Moses Suli

Referees: Ben Cummins; Sideline Officials: Matt Noyen, Drew Oultram; Video Referees: Alan Shortall;