Queensland Country Bank Stadium will play host to Friday's Round 23 NRL game between North Queensland Cowboys and New Zealand Warriors. The game kicks off at 6:00 pm with North Queensland Cowboys heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the North Queensland Cowboys vs. New Zealand Warriors game and give you our free tips and bets.
When: Friday August 19, 2022 at 6:00 pm
Where: Queensland Country Bank Stadium
Bet: Bet On This Match HERE
North Queensland Cowboys vs New Zealand Warriors Odds
North Queensland Cowboys vs New Zealand Warriors Preview
North Queensland resumes its quest for a top-two finish and a home final in week one while continuing to grapple with tragedy. The Cowboys went down 32-18 to the Roosters just two days after the shattering news of former coach Paul Green’s death, with their pack struggling to match up to a dominant Tricolours unit.
Winger Kyle Feldt – who boasts 13 tries in 10 career games against the Warriors – is back for the Cowboys, with Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow slipping back to the bench as they look to bounce back from just their third defeat in 16 games.
The Warriors, meanwhile, are coming off their best win of 2022 – which came just six days after a shockingly limp display in a 48-10 loss to Souths.
The fast-finishing Warriors powered to a 42-18 victory over the in-form Bulldogs, the club’s biggest win since 2020 and its most points in a game since 2016. Shaun Johnson was in vintage touch on the back of the team’s best performance yardage-wise (a glaring area of weakness) this season.
The Warriors have won five of the teams’ last seven encounters, including a golden point victory sealed by a Johnson field goal after they clawed back from 12 points down at Redcliffe in Round 5. The teams’ last eight straight clashes were decided by 1-12 margins. The Cowboys have won four of the last five in Townsville.
The unchanged Warriors will take plenty of confidence from last week’s display in front of a packed house at Mt Smart, but they are just 1-11 away from Redcliffe and Auckland in 2022 and have overwhelmingly struggled to compete with the NRL’s pacesetters for the past two seasons.
The Cowboys look well under the odds as $1.11 favourites, though, and the visitors are capable of keeping this one relatively close.
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Head To Head Bet
We're tipping North Queensland Cowboys to win at $1.09 odds.
First Try Scorer
First Try Scorer: Murray Taulagi at $8.50.
North Queensland Cowboys vs New Zealand Warriors Teams
Cowboys team: 1. Scott Drinkwater 2. Kyle Feldt 3. Valentine Holmes 4. Peta Hiku 5. Murray Taulagi 6. Tom Dearden 7. Chad Townsend 8. Jordan McLean 9. Reece Robson 10. Reuben Cotter 11. Tom Gilbert 12. Jeremiah Nanai 13. Jason Taumalolo 14. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow 15. Luciano Leilua 16. Coen Hess 17. Griffin Neame 18. Jamayne Taunoa-Brown 19. Ben Hampton 20. Jake Granville 21. Brendan Elliot 22. Connelly Lemuelu
Warriors team: 1. Reece Walsh 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 3. Viliami Vailea 4. Marcelo Montoya 5. Edward Kosi 6. Daejarn Asi 7. Shaun Johnson 8. Addin Fonua-Blake 9. Wayde Egan 10. Tohu Harris 11. Euan Aitken 12. Jack Murchie 13. Bunty Afoa 14. Freddy Lussick 15. Tom Ale 16. Eliesa Katoa 17. Josh Curran 18. Chanel Harris-Tavita 20. Dunamis Lui 21. Jackson Frei 22. Adam Pompey 23. Rocco Berry
