Round 5: North Queensland Cowboys vs Gold Coast Titans

[Blazertaser]

We'll be there flying the lone flag for the Titans.
I guess nobody else is going to T'ville?
Must remember to pack my gear

There's quite a lot of people from the Legion going up

[karnage]

I've seen Rankin this year too mate. He would not make a Q Cup team at the moment the way that he is going. He has not come on at all in the past 18 months and I will be surprised if he ever gets his 1st grade tally up past 1 game.

[Surfers6]

Rankin is off contract too I think.

We have put a bit of time into him. I beleive he should be re-signed still but on minimums.

[Rage]

North Queensland Cowboys v Gold Coast Titans
Dairy Farmers Stadium
Friday 7.30pm

A good old-fashioned Queensland derby to get Heritage Round started ? it doesn?t get much better.

The Titans are buoyed by their first win while the Cowboys are itching to get back on track after a close loss to the Eels.

We also have the mouth-watering prospect of a Johnathan Thurston-Scott Prince showdown ? that is if Prince can take his place as named after being a late withdrawal last weekend.

Roles are currently reversed from the past two seasons ? at the moment the Cowboys are in the top eight while the Titans are languishing near the foot of the ladder.

With a 2-2 record in the first month the Cowboys sit sixth but a loss here is likely to drop them out of the top half of teams. They have stuck solid to the unit that fell 22-20 to the Eels although Scott Bolton and Antonio Winterstein have been added to the reserves list and will come into contention for a place in the side.

For the Titans, Prince is due back ? and so is hooker Nathan Friend ? but the side has lost Greg Bird to suspension (a late strike on Raider Matt Orford last week) and Preston Campbell to injury.

They managed to get their first win of the year in golden point over Canberra after a lucky scrum knock-on by Matt Orford gave them vital field position in the dying seconds and then Blake Ferguson dropped the ball in extra time. But in this competition you take the points anyway you can get them ? and perhaps it is the catalyst for the Gold Coast boys to make a charge.

In other team news Luke Capewell earns a recall to the five-eighth?s jersey while Riley Brown moves back to the bench for Friend?s return. Brad Meyers has been left out of the side with Luke O?Dwyer added as an 18th man.

Prince is set to become the first player of any Gold Coast club to score 500 points; he has 497 to date.

Watch Out Cowboys: The Titans continue to attack down the left-hand corridor of the field any chance they get, hoping to either make a break or compress the defence in so they can then shift the ball quickly to the right side. The Gold Coast lead the NRL with 39 raids down the left short side, a distinct ploy of theirs. It is imperative the Cowboys? markers are awake to these raids and tackle effectively so extra players aren?t dragged over, consequently leaving space back the other way.

Danger Sign: With Nathan Friend back at hooker, chances are the short-side raids will be even more effective. Marker defence all night must be top notch.

Watch Out Titans: The Cowboys will bring their attacking punch to this contest and the Titans need to find a way to go with them. So far the Cowboys lead the NRL with 26 line-breaks ? while the Titans are the second worst in the league with just 13. This has helped the Cowboys to average 23 points scored a game while the Titans are languishing at just 14.75 points each match, again only better than Penrith.

On the flip side of the coin, it is worth noting that Dallas Johnson is currently averaging almost 20 tackles more than the nearest Cowboy in club history (49.8). So there is some defensive clout in the Cowboys also.

Danger Sign: Cowboys with big-number line-breaks who the Titans must watch are Ashley Graham (NRL-high six), Matt Bowen (four), Kalifa Faifai Loa (three) and Tariq Sims and Will Tupou who have two each.

Plays To Watch: Prince?s grubber kicks at the post; Thurston?s show-and-go; Bowen?s chip-and-chase; Faifai Loa running full speed and using his excellent swerve; Friend engaging markers with clever darts.

Where It Will Be Won: Execution. The Cowboys seem to have found some of their attacking mojo but they are still struggling to make the most of all of their chances. Meanwhile the Titans haven?t asked enough questions of defences and need to be better ? there is a stack of pressure on Scott Prince here.

Remember, Prince is still no certainty and perhaps we will see the late inclusion of someone like Jordan Rankin. Either way, the Titans? halves need to create more and force the Cowboys? defence to make decisions ? something they are not famous for.

If the Cowboys duo of Thurston and Bowen get cranking, no team can stop them ? especially not this Titans team who are quite frankly very lucky not to be 0-4.

The History: Played 7; Cowboys 3, Titans 4. Since their inaugural encounter in 2007 results have gone this way: Cowboys, Titans, Titans, Titans, Cowboys, Cowboys, Titans. Last season the teams split the two meetings, winning their home game, which was the first time the Cowboys had actually beaten the Titans in Townsville. The Titans hold a 2-1 lead at the venue. These games are not traditionally nail-biters, with the average winning margin a hefty 13 points.

Conclusion: They might have been awful against the Knights at home and have been whining a little bit about a tough schedule, but the Cowboys look like the team to beat here.

The Titans have a very welcome return in Friend but with Bird gone and a question mark hanging over Prince it is hard to see them overcoming the Thurston factor.

Match officials: Referees ? Ben Cummins & Tony De Las Heras; Sideline Officials ? Paul Holland & Gavin Morris; Video Ref ? Tim Mander.

Televised: Channel Nine ? Live 7.30pm (Qld), delayed 9.30pm (NSW); Fox Sports ? Delayed 1am.

* Statistics: NRL Stats.

Source: www.nrl.com

[Rage]

"If the Cowboys duo of Thurston and Bowen get cranking, no team can stop them ? especially not this Titans team who are quite frankly very lucky not to be 0-4."

Guess we should be used to this by now, can't wait to secure 2nd straight win

[DIEHARD]

We never get any credit, but so be it. We will go undere the radar.

Thanks for posting the NRL preview Rage!

[teke]

I've seen Rankin this year too mate. He would not make a Q Cup team at the moment the way that he is going. He has not come on at all in the past 18 months and I will be surprised if he ever gets his 1st grade tally up past 1 game.

Ditto

[Nick]

I have to admit I am bedazzled over how Tomane is not in the squad and even Lawton over Brown, both Tomane and Lawton have been looking sharp in the queensland cup.
In a losing side the other day joe vickery looked pretty good, if one of our wingers is under performing he would slot in perfectly, he has some good pace.

[Nick]

To win this game we just need to target the cowboys right side defense, ash graham cant catch under pressure and will topou is slow to turn and has a bad defensive read.. Willie Tonga has also looked well below par this year making some poor defensive reads.. I think we have a good chance this match.

[DIEHARD]

Titans intent on winning Cowboys clash

THE Titans are determined to cap a marathon opening month of the NRL season with a momentum-building victory over the Cowboys in Townsville on Friday night.

John Cartwright's men have clocked up more kilometres than the Leyland Brothers during the first five rounds, with away trips to Melbourne, Canberra and North Queensland punctuating an already tough draw.

Even before the return trip from Cowboys country, each player has so far racked up 5783kms worth of frequent flyer points and there are still 22 rounds to go.

''It is another tough road trip but we are looking forward to it,'' Titans coach Cartwright said.

''Sometimes the pressure of a home game is more than it is away.

''We have travelled pretty well over the last couple years.

''We have got a really good routine and we actually look forward to going away.''

While the Titans will be without Greg Bird (suspension), Ash Harrison (hamstring), Preston Campbell (knee) and Brad Meyers (wrist), they will be buoyed by the return of hooker Nathan Friend, who is playing his first game for the year following off-season shoulder surgery.

Cartwright also confirmed skipper Scott Prince as a certain starter, after he was a late withdrawal from last week's drought-breaking golden-point victory over the Raiders with a hamstring strain.

Prince requires just three points to become the first player to bring up 500 points for the Titans, while Anthony Laffranchi needs one try to overtake Mat Rogers (32) and become the all-time leading try scorer for the club.

''If we were in any doubt at all (about Prince) we would take some cover up there, but I don't think there is any need,'' Cartwright said.

''He got through a training session on Wednesday and he came in yesterday and did a little bit and there was no ill effects, so he should be fine.

''We have got some guys in form who won't be there.

''Bird started to go really well the last two weeks and Harrison was probably one of the better ones in the first three weeks of the competition.

''We took a bit of confidence out of the Canberra game and we know we have got plenty of improvement left in us.''

The Cowboys will welcome back winger Antonio Winterstein and forward Scott Bolton, with coach Neil Henry to trim his six-man interchange bench prior to kick off.

The Titans have won two of their three matches against the Cowboys at Dairy Farmers Stadium, both of which were by six points or less.

''The (Johnathan) Thurston and (Matt) Bowen combo is back and very dangerous,'' pack leader Luke Bailey said.

''Matt Scott is also always playing well.

''It is going to be very tough, but it makes it easier coming off a win like we did last week.

''But once again, that means nothing if we can't back it up.''

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/

[Titanic]

Capewell should be able to school Ray Thompson but that bloody Bowen is due to break loose - contain him and we win.

[ForGCT]

Very good win at Bruce Stadium. I couldn't get there, (now I know what knee surgery feels like). Hope this Friday we'll see another for GCT. Five & half months since have been into Forum or R/L and it went by fast. All the best for rest of the season to GCT, fans and Legions.

[teke]

I have to admit I am bedazzled over how Tomane is not in the squad and even Lawton over Brown, both Tomane and Lawton have been looking sharp in the queensland cup.
In a losing side the other day joe vickery looked pretty good, if one of our wingers is under performing he would slot in perfectly, he has some good pace.

If anyone deserves a spot from Q Cup it's Shannon Walker, he has been dazzling crowds for the past 3 seasons. Q Cup is vastly different to the bigtime. Bodene has the defence that Joey does not

[DIEHARD]

I'll be heading down to the TBar to watch this. Can't wait.

[Surfers6]

Cmon Titans, getting excited now.

Bit of a gameplan.
Hopefull Odwyer in for Brown, more muscle and friendy can play 80.

We need to bomb Ash Grahams wing. 10 errors already this year.

On the last fake to Princeys side as the cowboys will be trying to put on plenty of pressure on his kick. Use capewell down the shortside little grubber for Zillman who will then draw and pass for Wingers.

Forwards need to man up and control the ruck. those cowboys forwards can often be easily dominated.

Watch Bowen in broken play and have good kick returns to limit his space, could ever employ same tactics we use on Slayter. Kick it lllooonnnngggg.

Good Luck Boys, I have Titans by 8.