2018 Rd 18 V Cowboys: Game Day
Posted: July 10, 2018, 5:11 pm
2018 Rd 18 V Cowboys: Game Day
Canberra Raiders V North Queensland Cowboys
Saturday 14 July 7:35pm
Canberra Stadium
Tickets: Click here
TV coverage: Fox League Channel 502
Radio: ABC, 2CC, Mix 106.3
Weather: Morning fog and frost. Sunny. Areas of fog and severe frost in the morning. Sunny afternoon. Light winds. Chance of any rain: 5 per cent. Min -5 Max 12
Round 17 2018. Canberra Raiders 32 - Canterbury Bulldogs 28. It was the most extraordinary of wins for the Canberra Raiders. The Raiders played poorly for much of the match. The team looked flat, the defence was too often found wanting, the discipline was poor and there were too many errors. It was not a performance from a team that had their season on the line. The Bulldogs went to a 14 point lead with just over seven minutes remaining. But the Raiders then produced one of the most remarkable finishes in their history - scoring three tries in six minutes to steal the match.
2018 Round 17 Canberra Raiders V Canterbury Bulldogs
More on Round 17: As I saw it
In Round 18, the Raiders return home for a meeting with the North Queensland Cowboys - after a month’s break between matches at Canberra Stadium. For the Raiders, fullback Brad Abbey (concussion) and prop Shannon Boyd (calf) have been ruled out with injury. Nick Cotric moves to fullback, with Jordan Rapana (hamstring) returning to the team on the wing. Josh Papalii is named to back up from Origin III at lock, with Siliva Havili dropping to the bench. Junior Paulo comes into the starting team at prop in place of the injured Boyd. Joe Tapine has been named at second row, but will need to beat his dangerous contact charge at the judiciary on Tuesday night. Luke Bateman (knee) returns to the bench, with Liam Knight named as 18th man. Blake Austin has again been named in the No. 14 jersey.
For the Cowboys, John Asiata (pectoral) will start at prop, with Corey Jensen dropping to the bench and Francis Molo to the reserves list. Gavin Cooper and Coen Hess are named to back up from Origin.
Late changes: Joe Tapine was found guilty of dangerous contact, as expected, so Liam
Knight comes into the top 17. Royce Hunt drops out of the extended bench. Jack Murchie and Craig Garvey remain in the reserves list. They are surely going to break a record for being named on the bench, but to never play.
Milestones: Nick Cotric has scored a try in eight consecutive matches and has the chance to match the club record of Noa Nadruku this weekend. The match also marks Johnathan Thurston’s final match in the national capital.
History: The Raiders have won 22 of 40 matches against the North Queensland Cowboys. However, 14 of those wins came in the Cowboys' first decade in competition. In the most recent decade, the Raiders have won six matches between the clubs, the Cowboys 11. The Raiders won the earlier clash against the Cowboys this year, 18-8, their first in Townsville since 2006. At Canberra Stadium, the Raiders have won 14 of 20 matches between the teams, but lost the most recent match at the venue, 31-18, in 2017.
2018 Round 8 Canberra Raiders V North Queensland Cowboys
2017 Round 17 Canberra Raiders V North Queensland Cowboys
2016 Round 18 Canberra Raiders V North Queensland Cowboys
2015 Round 21 Canberra Raiders V North Queensland Cowboys
2015 Round 15 Canberra Raiders V North Queensland Cowboys
In this week’s "History Happens", we go back to a match at Canberra Stadium in 2014. The Raiders had won just one of the previous seven matches between the clubs, but on this day, the Green... err Gold... Machine were big 42-12 winners.
2014 Round 11 Canberra Raiders V North Queensland Cowboys
Form: The Cowboys have won just once in their past seven matches, with three of those matches being one point defeats. In their last outing, the Cowboys lost in the last two minutes, 21-20, to the high flying South Sydney Rabbitohs in Cairns. The Raiders have a WLWLW form line in their past five matches.
Betting: The Raiders are $1.52 favourites in the match, with the Cowboys paying $2.55. The Cowboys have 5.5 points start in the line betting.
Stat attack: It is a clash between ninth (Raiders) and 14th (Cowboys) on the competition ladder. The Raiders have a 7 and 9 record in 2018, while the Cowboys are 4 and 12. Canberra has played six matches against top eight teams and is yet to win one. The Cowboys have won two of 10 matches against top eight sides.
The Raiders rank equal third in the NRL in attack (24 points and four tries scored per match), while the Cowboys rank 14th (16 points and 2.7 tries per match). Only the Rabbitohs (68) have scored more tries in 2018 than the Raiders (64). The Cowboys, however, have a better defensive record, with the Raiders conceding an average of 22 points (3.4 tries) per game, the Cowboys 20 (3.1 tries). The Raiders are the only team in the bottom eight with a positive points differential (+36), and a better points differential than the two teams above them (the Broncos on -6, and the Warriors on -10). The Cowboys have recorded a points differential of -62.
The two teams average almost the same running metres (Cowboys 1448m, Raiders 1446m per match) and kicking metres (Cowboys 395m, Raiders 389m per match). They also have almost the same completion rates (Raiders 75 per cent, Cowboys 74 per cent), though the Cowboys average more errors (12-10 per game). Canberra averages slightly more penalties conceded (Raiders nine, Cowboys eight). The Raiders make more offloads (Raiders nine, Cowboys six, per match on average) and more line breaks (Raiders five, Cowboys three per match).
The Cowboys have a slightly better tackle efficiency rate (Cowboys missing 31 of 353 tackles required on average per match, the Raiders missing 31 of 340).
Our tip: It is again a must win for the Canberra Raiders if they're to keep their slim final hopes alive. The Cowboys are out of finals contention, unable to produce 13 wins with eight games remaining. The best they can hope to do now is spoil the party for teams above them - in Johnathan Thurston's final season. Canberra might be able to drop one game and still make the top eight - but it can't be against a team below them on the ladder, given they are still to play six teams in the top eight.
This is a also a match that the Raiders should win... but the worry is Johnathan Thurston, as he always seems to pull a rabbit out of a hat when he's playing the Green Machine. He's been out of form... but the Raiders often seem to play out of form players back into form. The Raiders really can't afford to give him any space.
The other concern for Canberra is the disruption caused by injury and suspension. The Raiders are missing Shannon Boyd, Brad Abbey and Ata Hingano through injury, though Jordan Rapana and Luke Bateman make their return. In addition, Jack Wighton has been stood down; Joe Tapine is fighting a two week dangerous contact ban; and Josh Papalii will be backing up from Origin III. The Cowboys are better off, with Michael Morgan sidelined, though they have two players backing up from Origin.
Nevertheless, I do expect the Raiders will be more desperate to win, and the result of this match counts more for Canberra. Raiders by six, with the home ground advantage.
What they’re saying
Jarrod Croker: "To be able to get Bato [Luke Bateman] back is a massive help. He's really good in the middle there with his line speed, he does a lot of work that no one notices, Bato, he's one of those sorts of players. It'll be good to get him back and Rapa's Rapa [Jordan Rapana]. Any side would be happy to have him back in the team. Fingers crossed big Papa plays well on Wednesday and pulls up well for Saturday as well."
Canberra Raiders
1. Nick Cotric
2. Michael Oldfield
3. Jarrod Croker (C)
4. Joey Leilua
5. Jordan Rapana
6. Sam Williams
7. Aidan Sezer
8. Dunamis Lui
9. Josh Hodgson
10. Junior Paulo
18. Liam Knight
12. Elliott Whitehead
13. Josh Papalii
14. Blake Austin
15. Luke Bateman
16. Siliva Havili
17. Sia Soliola
19. Jack Murchie
21. Craig Garvey
North Queensland Cowboys
1. Lachlan Coote
2. Kyle Feldt
3. Enari Tuala
4. Kane Linnett
5. Antonio Winterstein
6. Te Maire Martin
7. Johnathan Thurston (C)
8. John Asiata
9. Jake Granville
10. Scott Bolton
11. Gavin Cooper
12. Coen Hess
13. Jason Taumalolo
14. Ben Hampton
15. Shaun Fensom
16. Shane Wright
17. Corey Jensen
18. Justin O'Neill
19. Ethan Lowe
21. Francis Molo
Officials:
Referees: Henry Perenara, Liam Kennedy
Sideline Officials: Rohan Best, Kasey Badger
Video Referees: Steve Chiddy, Bryan Norrie
Match Hashtags: #NRL #WeareRaiders #BleedGreen #NRLRaidersCowboys
The Greenhouse Hashtags: #WearGreen2018 #FromAllAngles
Mounties teams: Click here
Plus follow us on Twitter: @TheGHRaiders and Instagram: @TheGHRaiders
Canberra Raiders V North Queensland Cowboys
Saturday 14 July 7:35pm
Canberra Stadium
Tickets: Click here
TV coverage: Fox League Channel 502
Radio: ABC, 2CC, Mix 106.3
Weather: Morning fog and frost. Sunny. Areas of fog and severe frost in the morning. Sunny afternoon. Light winds. Chance of any rain: 5 per cent. Min -5 Max 12
Round 17 2018. Canberra Raiders 32 - Canterbury Bulldogs 28. It was the most extraordinary of wins for the Canberra Raiders. The Raiders played poorly for much of the match. The team looked flat, the defence was too often found wanting, the discipline was poor and there were too many errors. It was not a performance from a team that had their season on the line. The Bulldogs went to a 14 point lead with just over seven minutes remaining. But the Raiders then produced one of the most remarkable finishes in their history - scoring three tries in six minutes to steal the match.
2018 Round 17 Canberra Raiders V Canterbury Bulldogs
More on Round 17: As I saw it
In Round 18, the Raiders return home for a meeting with the North Queensland Cowboys - after a month’s break between matches at Canberra Stadium. For the Raiders, fullback Brad Abbey (concussion) and prop Shannon Boyd (calf) have been ruled out with injury. Nick Cotric moves to fullback, with Jordan Rapana (hamstring) returning to the team on the wing. Josh Papalii is named to back up from Origin III at lock, with Siliva Havili dropping to the bench. Junior Paulo comes into the starting team at prop in place of the injured Boyd. Joe Tapine has been named at second row, but will need to beat his dangerous contact charge at the judiciary on Tuesday night. Luke Bateman (knee) returns to the bench, with Liam Knight named as 18th man. Blake Austin has again been named in the No. 14 jersey.
For the Cowboys, John Asiata (pectoral) will start at prop, with Corey Jensen dropping to the bench and Francis Molo to the reserves list. Gavin Cooper and Coen Hess are named to back up from Origin.
Late changes: Joe Tapine was found guilty of dangerous contact, as expected, so Liam
Knight comes into the top 17. Royce Hunt drops out of the extended bench. Jack Murchie and Craig Garvey remain in the reserves list. They are surely going to break a record for being named on the bench, but to never play.
Milestones: Nick Cotric has scored a try in eight consecutive matches and has the chance to match the club record of Noa Nadruku this weekend. The match also marks Johnathan Thurston’s final match in the national capital.
History: The Raiders have won 22 of 40 matches against the North Queensland Cowboys. However, 14 of those wins came in the Cowboys' first decade in competition. In the most recent decade, the Raiders have won six matches between the clubs, the Cowboys 11. The Raiders won the earlier clash against the Cowboys this year, 18-8, their first in Townsville since 2006. At Canberra Stadium, the Raiders have won 14 of 20 matches between the teams, but lost the most recent match at the venue, 31-18, in 2017.
2018 Round 8 Canberra Raiders V North Queensland Cowboys
2017 Round 17 Canberra Raiders V North Queensland Cowboys
2016 Round 18 Canberra Raiders V North Queensland Cowboys
2015 Round 21 Canberra Raiders V North Queensland Cowboys
2015 Round 15 Canberra Raiders V North Queensland Cowboys
In this week’s "History Happens", we go back to a match at Canberra Stadium in 2014. The Raiders had won just one of the previous seven matches between the clubs, but on this day, the Green... err Gold... Machine were big 42-12 winners.
2014 Round 11 Canberra Raiders V North Queensland Cowboys
Form: The Cowboys have won just once in their past seven matches, with three of those matches being one point defeats. In their last outing, the Cowboys lost in the last two minutes, 21-20, to the high flying South Sydney Rabbitohs in Cairns. The Raiders have a WLWLW form line in their past five matches.
Betting: The Raiders are $1.52 favourites in the match, with the Cowboys paying $2.55. The Cowboys have 5.5 points start in the line betting.
Stat attack: It is a clash between ninth (Raiders) and 14th (Cowboys) on the competition ladder. The Raiders have a 7 and 9 record in 2018, while the Cowboys are 4 and 12. Canberra has played six matches against top eight teams and is yet to win one. The Cowboys have won two of 10 matches against top eight sides.
The Raiders rank equal third in the NRL in attack (24 points and four tries scored per match), while the Cowboys rank 14th (16 points and 2.7 tries per match). Only the Rabbitohs (68) have scored more tries in 2018 than the Raiders (64). The Cowboys, however, have a better defensive record, with the Raiders conceding an average of 22 points (3.4 tries) per game, the Cowboys 20 (3.1 tries). The Raiders are the only team in the bottom eight with a positive points differential (+36), and a better points differential than the two teams above them (the Broncos on -6, and the Warriors on -10). The Cowboys have recorded a points differential of -62.
The two teams average almost the same running metres (Cowboys 1448m, Raiders 1446m per match) and kicking metres (Cowboys 395m, Raiders 389m per match). They also have almost the same completion rates (Raiders 75 per cent, Cowboys 74 per cent), though the Cowboys average more errors (12-10 per game). Canberra averages slightly more penalties conceded (Raiders nine, Cowboys eight). The Raiders make more offloads (Raiders nine, Cowboys six, per match on average) and more line breaks (Raiders five, Cowboys three per match).
The Cowboys have a slightly better tackle efficiency rate (Cowboys missing 31 of 353 tackles required on average per match, the Raiders missing 31 of 340).
Our tip: It is again a must win for the Canberra Raiders if they're to keep their slim final hopes alive. The Cowboys are out of finals contention, unable to produce 13 wins with eight games remaining. The best they can hope to do now is spoil the party for teams above them - in Johnathan Thurston's final season. Canberra might be able to drop one game and still make the top eight - but it can't be against a team below them on the ladder, given they are still to play six teams in the top eight.
This is a also a match that the Raiders should win... but the worry is Johnathan Thurston, as he always seems to pull a rabbit out of a hat when he's playing the Green Machine. He's been out of form... but the Raiders often seem to play out of form players back into form. The Raiders really can't afford to give him any space.
The other concern for Canberra is the disruption caused by injury and suspension. The Raiders are missing Shannon Boyd, Brad Abbey and Ata Hingano through injury, though Jordan Rapana and Luke Bateman make their return. In addition, Jack Wighton has been stood down; Joe Tapine is fighting a two week dangerous contact ban; and Josh Papalii will be backing up from Origin III. The Cowboys are better off, with Michael Morgan sidelined, though they have two players backing up from Origin.
Nevertheless, I do expect the Raiders will be more desperate to win, and the result of this match counts more for Canberra. Raiders by six, with the home ground advantage.
What they’re saying
Jarrod Croker: "To be able to get Bato [Luke Bateman] back is a massive help. He's really good in the middle there with his line speed, he does a lot of work that no one notices, Bato, he's one of those sorts of players. It'll be good to get him back and Rapa's Rapa [Jordan Rapana]. Any side would be happy to have him back in the team. Fingers crossed big Papa plays well on Wednesday and pulls up well for Saturday as well."
Canberra Raiders
1. Nick Cotric
2. Michael Oldfield
3. Jarrod Croker (C)
4. Joey Leilua
5. Jordan Rapana
6. Sam Williams
7. Aidan Sezer
8. Dunamis Lui
9. Josh Hodgson
10. Junior Paulo
18. Liam Knight
12. Elliott Whitehead
13. Josh Papalii
14. Blake Austin
15. Luke Bateman
16. Siliva Havili
17. Sia Soliola
19. Jack Murchie
21. Craig Garvey
North Queensland Cowboys
1. Lachlan Coote
2. Kyle Feldt
3. Enari Tuala
4. Kane Linnett
5. Antonio Winterstein
6. Te Maire Martin
7. Johnathan Thurston (C)
8. John Asiata
9. Jake Granville
10. Scott Bolton
11. Gavin Cooper
12. Coen Hess
13. Jason Taumalolo
14. Ben Hampton
15. Shaun Fensom
16. Shane Wright
17. Corey Jensen
18. Justin O'Neill
19. Ethan Lowe
21. Francis Molo
Officials:
Referees: Henry Perenara, Liam Kennedy
Sideline Officials: Rohan Best, Kasey Badger
Video Referees: Steve Chiddy, Bryan Norrie
Match Hashtags: #NRL #WeareRaiders #BleedGreen #NRLRaidersCowboys
The Greenhouse Hashtags: #WearGreen2018 #FromAllAngles
Mounties teams: Click here
Plus follow us on Twitter: @TheGHRaiders and Instagram: @TheGHRaiders