NR Round 8 Preview - Cowboys v Raiders @ 1300 Smiles Stadium

North Queensland Cowboys v Canberra Raiders @ 1300 Smiles Stadium
 
Preview - The Cowboys and Raiders collide in Townsville on Saturday night in a matchup of two sides down the wrong end of the ladder at 2-5. The Cowboys finally clicked their season into gear somewhat with a much needed 28-12 victory over the Titans to snap an alarming 5-match losing streak. The Raiders were brought back to earth with a thud after two straight victories as they were pumped 42-18 by the Rabbitohs in Gosford. 
 
North Queensland Cowboys’ Scouting Report - Shaun Fensom made his return last weekend from his horrific Grand Final night leg injury. However he will come off the interchange bench this weekend against his former Club. Halves Johnathan Thurston and Michael Morgan enjoyed solid returns to form behind a good forward roll on in their Cowboys’ dominant win over the Titans last week. 
 
Canberra Raiders’ Scouting Report - The Raiders have named the same side despite being blown away by the Rabbitohs last week. The Raiders have been poor defensively on the road this season, conceding an average of over 30 points per game, so they will need to address that if they are to be any hope of knocking over the Cowboys here. 
 
Verdict - Cowboys by 6-16 in a high scoring game

Hard to see the Cowboys losing this, given they have finally found a bit of form and confidence. The Raiders away form has been shocking, copping pastings at both Brookvale and last week in Gosford, so you could have little confidence in them. However, they are the sort of expansive attacking side that can cause a sluggish Cowboys’ defence some problems, and this game could easily be turned on its head if the Raiders can get ahead early and find their attacking mojo. However, I just can’t trust their defence to hold true, so I’ll tip the Cowboys to get back-to-back wins as they start their climb up the ladder.