The NRL is finally back for 2023 and here is the match day guide and preview for the Canberra Raiders round 1 game against the North Queensland Cowboys.
Match details
- Who: North Queensland Cowboys vs Canberra Raiders
- When: Saturday 4 March 5.30pm AEDT
- Where: Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville
- Weather: min 25 max 31, chance of rain 60%, 0 to 4mm
- Click here to buy tickets
- Head-to-head record: Played 47. Raiders 25 wins. Cowboys 22 wins.
Raiders and Cowboys team lists
In the absence of Xavier Savage, the Raiders have selected Seb Kris as the man to play fullback. Josh Papalii has succumbed to a calf injury and will miss at least the season opener. Raiders debutants Danny Levi and Pasami Saulo have been named in the starting 13, while Corey Harawira-Naera will start at lock.
No surprises in the Cowboys’ lineup, with the club naming a very strong 17. Veteran James Tamou has been named on the bench in his first match for the Cowboys since 2016.
2022 season recap and 2023 outlook
2022: Raiders 8th | 524 points for | 461 points against | 14 wins & 10 losses
After a dreadful 2-6 start to the 2022 season, a late surge (and a disastrous Broncos fadeout) saw the Raiders sneak into eighth spot.
Finishing the season on a 12-4 run and winning a final ended up a pretty good result for Canberra, with Jamal Fogarty’s return from injury proving a pivotal moment for the club, helping the rest of the spine settle into their roles easier. Joe Tapine was far and away the club’s best player last year, with the Kiwi international announcing himself as one of the NRL’s premier forwards.
2023 shapes as an interesting year for the Raiders, with the club heading into the season with a similar roster to last year. Danny Levi and Pasami Saulo are the only inclusions in the starting side, while Adam Elliott and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad are the biggest losses. Not having a second fullback on the roster may prove costly with Savage set to miss the opening six rounds after fracturing his jaw.
The Raiders pre-season performances left plenty to be desired, with the 36-4 loss against the Tigers in the second trial of slight concern. It’s hard to read much into the trials though, so we should find out more about the Green Machine over the first few rounds.
This NRL season shapes as one of the most even in recent memory with a number of teams that missed the eight last year all improving their rosters and the Raiders will likely be in that large group fighting for a finals spot.
It doesn’t get much tougher than heading to the heat and humidity of Townsville to take on the Cowboys, but this is a great opportunity for the Raiders to test themselves early in the year.
2023 prediction: 8th
2022: North Queensland Cowboys 3rd | 633 points for | 361 points against | 17 wins & 7 losses
Only the most passionate Cowboys fans would’ve had their side finishing in the top four before last season, but they shocked the rest of the competition and were just a try away from a place in the Grand Final.
Fixing their defence was clearly the focus of coach Todd Payten, with North Queensland finishing as the second best defensive side in the NRL, conceding just 361 points compared to 748 in 2021. Their spine was also a big reason for their improvement with Chad Townsend proving one of the buys of the year at halfback, while Tom Dearden improved out of sight and even earned himself an Origin debut for Queensland. Scott Drinkwater was superb once given the fullback spot permanently and Reece Robson was great at dummy half.
Teams that make a big leap in one year can sometimes fall off a little the next, but this Cowboys outfit is primed to have another big year. They haven’t lost many players from last year’s squad with just Tom Gilbert and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow leaving, the spine has had more time to work on their chemistry, and youngsters like Jeremiah Nanai, Murray Taulagi and Heilum Luki have all had time to improve.
North Queensland should be aiming for the top four once again and there’s no real reason why they shouldn’t be there once the whips are cracking in September.
2023 prediction: 2nd
Last 5 meetings and history in Townsville
- 2022 round 6: Raiders 12 – 18 Cowboys at GIO Stadium, Canberra
- 2022 round 2: Cowboys 26 – 6 Raiders at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville
- 2021 round 7: Cowboys 26 – 24 Raiders at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville
- 2020 round 12: Cowboys 12 – 14 Raiders at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville
- 2019 round 11: Raiders 16 – 22 Cowboys at GIO Stadium, Canberra
The Cowboys have a terrific recent record against Canberra, winning the last three encounters and four of the last five.
They won both matchups last year, including a comfortable 26-6 win in Townsville in round two and a come from behind victory in Canberra just a month later.
Of the last ten matches played in Townsville, North Queensland hold a 7-3 advantage over the Raiders and have won two of the three clashes at the new Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
Pre match predictions
Revved up return: Harley Smith-Shields to score a try in his return from injury. Cowboys by 12.
Holmes ground advantage: Val Holmes to bag a try and an assist as the Cowboys utilise the Townsville conditions. Cowboys by 14. – Denholm Samaras
Have any predictions of your own? Let us know in the comments below.
Other match details
Gates open at 2.45pm.
The match will be broadcast live on Fox League channel 502 and is also available to stream on Kayo. Overseas fans can watch via Watch NRL.
You can listen to the match on Raiders on Mix (Mix106.3 FM), Radio 2CC (1206 AM) and ABC Grandstand (666).
