NORTH QUEENSLAND TOYOTA COWBOYS v CANBERRA RAIDERS NYC
10.45am, Saturday 20 June, GIO Stadium
Referee: Matt Noyen
Touch judges: Rohan Best, Michael Laverty
Updates: Twitter @nthqldcowboys
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 Braden Uele 9 Andrew Niemoeller 10 Ross Bella 11 Bill Cullen 12 Temone Power 13 Kieran Quabba (c). Interchange: 14 Kyle Laybutt 15 Jordan Kenworthy 16 David Munro 17 Viliame Kikau 18 Mitchell Dunn 19 Trey Kemp.
Raiders: 1 Chevi Ellis 2 Thomas Cronan 3 Brenko Lee 4 Cameron Booth 5 Jack Hickson 6 Lachlan Lewis 7 Lachlan Croker 8 Brett Solomon 9 Zac Woolford 10 Morgan Boyle 11 Jack Williams 12 Kalani Going 13 Tevita Pangai Junior 14 Dylan McGrath 15 Jordan Aiono-Fatu 16 Daniel Dole 17 Cleveland McGhie 18 Sione Afemui 19 Tevita Aroha-Tuinauvai.
KEY FACTS
The young Cowboys put together arguably their most complete performance of the season last start when they ran roughshod over the Eels 54-6, with Torres Strait product and Cowboys flyer Gideon Mosby racing in four tries to have 19 four-pointers in just 12 games.
Refreshed after the bye weekend, Todd Payten’s team will be looking to continue their consolidation of that all-important top-two position.
The team is equal with the Broncos on points (21 from nine wins, three losses and a draw) but sit in second place on for-and-against.
Penrith lead the National Youth Competition outright on 24 points.
The Cowboys had a slightly different preparation this week, with Payten absent due to his role as the New South Wales under-18 coach for the State of Origin curtain-raiser against Queensland.
The young Maroons won that game 22-18, but Payten would have had mixed emotions as two of his Cowboys players – Bacho Salam and Mitchell Dunn – were playing for Queensland, as were future NYC Cowboys Reuben Cotter and Enari Tuala.
COWBOYS COACH TODD PAYTEN: “We’ve had a good break, followed by a solid extended preparation, now we just have to take that on to the field."
