Cowboys v Titans preview

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Titans tempt finals destiny against reigning premiers.

Bouncing back with consecutive wins after three straight losses, the Cowboys return to Townsville for their final regular home appearance of the season. Coming off the back of a strong 24-16 win over Canterbury last Thursday, coach Paul Green will be looking for a stronger defensive mentality late in the match, after conceding two tries at the death at Belmore Oval. In mixed news on the injury front, Ben Hannant returns after missing the past three weeks with a knee injury, while Matt Scott is out with Scott Bolton set to start in the front row. Youngster Coen Hess has once again been named on the bench after a strong showing against the Bulldogs, however premiership winner John Asiata may be a late call up to the first grade side. Currently sitting in fourth position, the Cowboys face a clear cut proposition leading into the finals; win and guarantee a place in the top four courtesy of a strong for-and-against, or face the prospect of finishing as low as sixth should results go against them.

Denied by a late field goal last Saturday, the Titans face a do-or-die ultimatum against the Cowboys in order to secure the final place in the top eight. Currently one point ahead of the ninth placed Tigers, the Gold Coast will be looking to take control of their own destiny with a win in Townsville or face a nervous wait to discover whether their season extends another week. Retaining the same squad that went down 15-14 to Penrith, the Titans have included David Mead, David Shillington and Lachlan Burr on an extended bench as cover for the must-win encounter. Having lost their past three matches at 1300Smiles Stadium, the Titans will need to treat Saturday night's fixture as finals dress rehearsal, or else Neil Henry's men may find themselves on Monday Monday at the end of the weekend, left to ponder a season of missed chances.

Last meeting: Round 26 2015 - Cowboys 42 Titans 12

Who to watch: There a few superlatives left to bestow upon Johnathan Thurston, but with a win on Saturday, the legendary halfback will go a long way towards helping the Cowboys record back-to-back titles. Producing a number of inspired touches in the win over Canterbury last Thursday, Thurston will have his sights set on continuing the Cowboys strong form leading into September after several shaky performances a month ago. With so many expectations set upon the North Queensland skipper he could be forgiven for a poor performance, but as he has shown time and again, there are few players capable of impacting a game like him.

Returning to fullback in the defeat to Penrith last Saturday, Jarryd Hayne looms as the key player in the Titans quest for the play-offs. Running for over 200 metres last week, the cross code superstar faces his biggest challenge since returning to the NRL, as the Titans look to secure their place in the finals, with the side facing an anxious wait to determined their fate should they go down in Townsville. Boasting a skill set unlike any other player in the competition, Hayne will need to deliver on Saturday or else the Titans may be left to rue a season of missed opportunities having fallen at the final hurdle.

The favourite: With back-to-back wins over the past fortnight, North Queensland is expected to make it a treble on the trot.

My tip: Having steadied after a number of shaky performances, look for the reigning premiers to triumph at home. Cowboys by 12.

1. Lachlan Coote 2. Kyle Feldt 3. Justin O'Neill 4. Kane Linnett 5. Antonio Winterstein 6. Michael Morgan 7. Johnathan Thurston 8. Scott Bolton 14. Rory Kostjasyn 10. James Tamou 11. Gavin Cooper 12. Ethan Lowe 13. Jason Taumalolo
Interchange: 9. Jake Granville 15. Coen Hess 16. Patrick Kaufusi 17. Ben Hannant

1. Jarryd Hayne 18. David Mead 3. Josh Hoffman 4. Konrad Hurrell 5. Nene Macdonald 6. Tyrone Roberts 7. Ashley Taylor 8. Luke Douglas 9. Nathan Peats 10. Ryan James 11. Zeb Taia 12. Chris McQueen 13. Greg Bird
Interchange: 14. Leivaha Pulu 15. Ryan Simpkins 16. Agnatius Paasi 17. Nathan Friend

Referees: Matt Cecchin, Dave Munro; Sideline Officials: Michael Wise, Ricky MacFarlane; Video Referees: Bernard Sutton, Ben Galea, Jason Robinson