Cowboys and Dolphins fight for the right to be lead Queenslander

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North Queensland Cowboys v Dolphins Saturday 7:35pm at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville / Wulgurukaba

The Cowboys and Dolphins are gearing up to do battle in a sub-XXXX Derby that is heavily impacted by State of Origin selections, and one where the two Queensland sides currently highest on the table have a chance to cement their status as the states premier club.

The Cowboys have been forced to name a squad devoid of stars Jeremiah Nanai, Reece Robson, Reuben Cotter and Tom Dearden, while John Bateman and Viliami Vailea are also unavailable after picking up a pair of one match bans during their 38-14 loss to Melbourne last week.

In better news star forward Jason Taumalolo and Origin winger Murray Taulagi have both been named to make their return from a pair of calf injuries. Braidon Burns has been called into the centres, Jake Clifford replaces Dearden at halfback, and 19 year old prop Kaiden Lahrs - the son of ex-Origin prop Tom Learoyd-Lahrs - has been named to make his NRL debut from the bench.

The Dolphins by contrast have only lost one player to Origin duty in star fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, but they were bitten by a cruel injury bug last week. Standout utility Max Plath has suffered what the team will only label a serious knee injury, while Daniel Saifiti's season is over after his rehabilitation for a shoulder injury failed, as is Tom Gilbert's after surgery on a torn pectoral also revealed he required additional shoulder surgery.

Jake Averillo has been moved to fullback to replace Tabuai-Fidow with Max Feagai coming into the centres, while Ray Stone is the new face on the bench to replace Plath.

Despite being the best of the four Queensland clubs for three of the past four seasons, the Cowboys recent form in XXXX Derby's has left a bit to be desired. The team from Townsville has won just four of their past 12 showdowns with their interstate rivals - including a 26-16 loss to the Broncos back in Round 3. They'll have to reverse that form agains a red hot Dolphins side with the best momentum in the NRL, having scored 100 points across their last two matches thanks to big wins over the Bulldogs and Dragons.

Last meeting: Round 9 2024 - Cowboys 26 Dolphins 28

Who to watch: Scott Drinkwater has been handed the captaincy of the Cowboys for this match, and how they go in the game will be dictated heavily by his performance. He's been in top form the last two weeks with back to back 200 metre performances against the Tigers and Storm, scoring in both and picking up a try assist against Wests. Entering this week in a tie for third among the league in try assists, Drinkwater will be aiming to dominate the Dolphins and get the Cowboys over the edge.

While the loss of Tabuai-Fidow is something the Dolphins need to cover, the form of Isaiya Katoa helps make up for it. The Tongan international is one of the best halfbacks in the NRL this season, with 5 tries, 12 try assists, 8 forced dropouts, almost 450 metres worth of kicking every game and a strong tackle efficiency of 89%. Three of those try assists have come in the last two weeks, and Katoa will look to continue knocking on the door of an invite to New South Wales camp heading into Game 3.

The favourite: The Dolphins are the favourites in this one, priced in at $1.52 on Sportsbet.

My tip: While the Cowboys have done extremely well this season with Clifford at halfback, the hit their depth has taken before this game is likely too much to overcome. Dolphins by double digits.

1. Scott Drinkwater 2. Robert Derby 3. Zac Laybutt 4. Braidon Burns 5. Murray Taulagi 6. Jaxon Purdue 7. Jake Clifford 8. Jordan McLean 9. Karl Lawton 10. Coen Hess 11. Sam McIntyre 12. Kai O'Donnell 13. Jason Taumalolo 14. Harrison Edwards 15. Thomas Mikaele 16. Griffin Neame 17. Kaiden Lahrs 18. Thomas Duffy 19. Semi Valemei 20. Jaxson Paulo 21. Marly Bitungane 22. Mason Kira

1. Jake Averillo 2. Jamayne Isaako 3. Max Feagai 4. Herbie Farnworth 5. Jack Bostock 6. Kodi Nikorima 7. Isaiya Katoa 8. Francis Molo 9. Jeremy Marshall-King 10. Felise Kaufusi 11. Kulikefu Finefeuiaki 12. Oryn Keeley 13. Kurt Donoghoe 14. Ray Stone 15. Connelly Lemuelu 16. Mark Nicholls 17. Josh Kerr 18. Sean O'Sullivan 19. Aublix Tawha 20. Harrison Graham 21. Tevita Naufahu 22. Junior Tupou

Referees: Todd Smith; Sideline Officials: Wyatt Raymond, Liam Kennedy; Video Referees: Chris Butler;