NORTH QUEENSLAND TOYOTA COWBOYS v PENRITH PANTHERS NYC
7pm, Monday 6 April, Pepper Stadium
Live updates: twitter.com/nthqldcowboys
Referee: Kasey Badger
Touch judges: Jeff Hartup, Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski
Times: Gates open 4.30pm | NRL Cowboys v Panthers 7pm
TEAMS
Cowboys: 1. Yamba Bowie 2. Gideon Mosby 3. Akeripa Tia Kilifi 4. Conor Carey 5. Scott Schulte 6. Ty Carucci 7. Cooper Bambling 8. Viliame Kikau 9. Brandon Smith 10. Braden Uele 11. Coen Hess 12. Andrew Niemoeller 13. Kieran Quabba (c). Interchange: 14. Trey Kemp 15. Jordan Kenworthy 16. David Munro 17. Ross Bella.
Panthers: 1. Brent Naden 2. Braidon Burns 3. Christian Chricton 4. Jack Neloson 5. Josh Jay 6. Dylan Edwards 7. Soni Luke 8. Stanton Albert 9. Maliko Filino 10. Moses Leota 11. Kaide Ellis 12. Corey Harawira-Naera 13. Tyrone May. Interchange: 14. Oliver Clark 15. Paea Pua 16. Thompson Tuigamala 17. Josh Grant.
MATCH FACTS
- For the third time in four matches, the Cowboys have cracked the 40-point barrier.
- Last time the two played, Penrith ended the North Queenslanders' finals hopes with a 38-16 win at Penrith.
- Cooper Bambling has produced one 40/20 kick this season.
- Winger Gideon Mosby now has 5 tries for the season after bagging 4 against the Storm last weekend.
- Panthers lock Tyrone May has 6 try assists and 7 line-break assists.
- The Cowboys are second on the ladder with 171 points for and 72 against; Penrith are 9th with 92 points for and 100 against.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Panthers: Brent Naden can be a danger at fullback if he sniffs any open space, while winger Josh Jay scored a double in their loss to Newcastle the week before and shows he knows how to find the try-line. The Cowboys defence will have to ensure they wrap up Panthers lock Tyrone May, ball and all, as he is prone to an offload or two during games.
Cowboys: Last weekend’s result against Melbourne showed what a damaging attacking side the Cowboys can be. Halfback Cooper Bambling had three try assists last weekend, on the receiving end was Gideon Mosby who finished the game with 195 metres for his 11 runs. Up forward, Braden Uele is proving hard to bring down, making 11 tackle busts against Melbourne and running148 metres.
LAST WORDS – Cowboys NYC Coach Todd Payten: “It wasn’t a pretty match for the Panthers last round with a loss to Newcastle, with 50 missed tackles. However that doesn’t mean anything as they're a side that can strike from anywhere and especially playing at home. But I’m confident the boys have prepared well and we can again have a successful trip away.”
