Match Preview: NRL Round 22

Wests Tigers will look to keep their finals hopes alive when they take on the North Queensland Cowboys in Townsville for their Round 22 clash.

Coming into the match off back-to-back defeats, the visitors will be keen to build on a 16-4 victory over the Cowboys when they met earlier in the year, and know that they’ll need to lift to defeat the Cowboys in front of their home fans at 1300 SMILES Stadium.

With finals aspirations on the line for both teams — plus plenty of feeling and history between the two teams throughout the years — it promises to be a fascinating NRL match and one that could attract plenty of interest from fans both sides of the border.

Who will walk away with the two competition points on offer this week?

Read on for a full preview of the Round 22 clash including all the key details, team news, TV and live stream information, match analysis and more.

Match Details

Date — Saturday, August 9, 2014

Time — 7:30pm

Venue — 1300 SMILES Stadium, Townsville

TV, Radio and Live Stream Details

TV — Live coverage via Fox Sports 1 (check local guides)

Radio — Live coverage via ABC Grandstand (check local guides)

Live Stream — Live via Foxtel Go, NRL Digital Pass (subscription required)

Twitter — Click here to follow Wests Tigers on Twitter for team news and commentary

Confirmed Squads

Wests Tigers have named rookie halfback Luke Brooks to return from injury against the Cowboys, with a replacement not yet known for Bodene Thompson, who will miss the match due to suspension. The Cowboys have named an unchanged lineup to the side that won in Round 21, with John Asiata added to an extended bench.

Last Five Matches

Wests Tigers

R17 — Penrith Panthers 26 def. Wests Tigers 10

R18 — Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 40 def. Wests Tigers 8

R19 — Wests Tigers 46 def. Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 18

R20 — St. George-Illawarra Dragons 28 def. Wests Tigers 12

R21 — Melbourne Storm 28 def. Wests Tigers 6

North Queensland Cowboys

R16 — North Queensland Cowboys 20 def. South Sydney Rabbitohs 18

R17 — St. George-Illawarra Dragons 27 def. North Queensland Cowboys 24

R19 — North Queensland Cowboys 36 def. Cronulla Sharks 18

R20 — North Queensland Cowboys 20 def. Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 12

R21 — North Queensland Cowboys 28 def. Gold Coast Titans 8

Match History: Played 30, Won 16, Lost 13, Drawn 1

Last Time They Met

Round 6, 2014 — Wests Tigers 16 def. North Queensland Cowboys 4

Despite conceding the first try of the match to Brent Tate, Wests Tigers quickly stormed back with tries either side of half-time to Robbie Farah and Blake Austin to take control of their Round 6 clash against the Cowboys. The Cowboys continued to be repelled by strong goal-line defence by the hosts, with a try in the final 10 minutes to Pat Richards putting the result beyond all doubt as the visitors walked away empty-handed.

Number to Know — 158

With a try and several goals last week, Cowboys playmaker Johnathan Thurston has moved to top of the competition’s top points-scoring this year with 158 points. The Australian international also leads the league in try-assists with 21, and will no doubt be at the heart of everything that the hosts conjure up this week. It was a disappointing night for Thurston when he went to Campbelltown Sports Stadium in Round 6 — bombing a try and missing a penalty goal from right in front — and Wests Tigers will certainly be hoping that the skilled half has another night to forget this weekend.

Coach’s Comment

“There’s very limited training this week given the short turnaround. It’s more about their heads then their bodies late in the year. The Cowboys are all about their big people and Johnathan Thurston; it all revolves around him. We need to set our plays nice and early and make sure our line is set to contain him...” (Mick Potter, NRL Head Coach)

Individual Stats Leaders

Key Player Stats

• Johnathan Thurston leads the NRL in points scored (158)
• Johnathan Thurston ranks third in the NRL for line-break assists (14)
• Tariq Sims leads the NRL in turnover tackles (12)
• Robbie Farah leads the NRL in dummy-half runs (101)
• Pat Richards leads the NRL in intercepts (4)
• Jason Taumalolo ranks second in the NRL for decoy runs (115)
• Luke Brooks leads the NRL in missed tackles (89)
• Johnathan Thurston leads the NRL in try-assists (21)

Team Stats