NRL Round 17 Preview and Prediction - Canberra Raiders v North Queensland Cowboys @ GIO Stadium

Canberra Raiders v North Queensland Cowboys @ GIO Stadium
 
Preview - The Canberra Raiders’ season is on life support as they face a must-win home game against the Cowboys on Saturday night. Having come into the season as one of the Premiership favourites, the Raiders have been one of the disappointments of the season. Having won just 6 of their 15 games, they find themselves languishing in 11th spot. The Raiders have broken their fans’hearts on several occasions this season, losing 6 games by 6 points or less. The Cowboys,on the other hand, continue to impress without 2 of their senior players in Johnathan Thurston and Matt Scott who are both out for the season. Last week they grinded out an impressing 14-12 win over the Panthers to maintain their spot in 7th place, as they look to cling on to a final’s spot heading into the last 10 weeks of the season. 
 
History - The Cowboys have a poor recent record at GIO Stadium having won just 1 from the last 4 clashes there. The teams last met back in Round 1 this season, with the Cowboys prevailing in a Golden Point thriller 17-16. These two teams have been relatively evenly matched over their history, with the Raiders having 21 wins to the Cowboys 17 wins. 
 
Canberra Raiders’ Scouting Report - Despite drifting all the way to 11th on the ladder, Ricky Stuart has stuck solid with his side once again this week. I think the Raiders halves this year have been disappointing, particularly Blake Austin who has failed to hit the heights of the last couple of years. The Raiders have only had one Origin representative in Josh Papalii this year, so they have really let an opportunity slip the past few weeks. 
 
North Queensland Cowboys’ Scouting Report - The Cowboys give a Club debut to exciting five-eight Te Maire Martin who was signed mid-season from the Panthers. Martin showed flashes of his potential at the Panthers but never quite nailed his spot with some inconsistent displays. How he gels with Michael Morgan in the halves will go a long way to determining how the Cowboys go for the rest of this season, with Morgan expected to take on the role of dominant playmaker. 
 
Verdict - Raiders 13+

The Raiders have let me down more than any other team this season, however I keep coming back for more by tipping them again here. I just think this is the last roll of the dice for the Green Machine, and they will be more desperate for a win than the Cowboys who are sitting relatively comfortably in the Top 8 at the moment. The Raiders have had so many near misses this year, and they would actually be leading the Competition if they had won the 6 games they have lost by 6 points or less. The Cowboys have done a good job without Thurston so far this year, however they have to work hard for their points and I don’t see them getting the 20+ required to beat the Raiders here in Canberra. The Cowboys have a pretty ordinary record in Canberra and, on a cold Saturday night, I see the Raiders finally breaking off the shackles and racking up a big win.