North Queensland Cowboys v Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Sharks hoping to take big bite out of wounded Cowboys
13 hours ago | Josh Robertson
Cowboys v Sharks preview
Sharks eye first win against in-form Cowboys.
Valentine Holmes will face off against his former club for the first time on Saturday evening when the North Queensland Cowboys host the Cronulla Sharks at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
Chasing their best start to a season since 2017, the North Queensland Cowboys will come into Saturday's contest full of belief after downing the Gold Coast Titans 36-6 in an emphatic second half performance last week.
Sitting in fifth position heading into the fourth round, coach Paul Green has been dealt a major blow with behemoth Jason Taumalolo sidelined with bone bruising of the knee. As a result of the reshuffle, veteran forward Gavin Cooper will play his first game since the lockdown, while 19-year-old prop Tom Gilbert will come onto the bench for his NRL debut.
Staring down the prospect of their worst start to a season in five year, the Cronulla Sharks will be hoping a strong record over their opponents comes to the fore on Saturday evening.
Winning seven of their past nine clashes against the Cowboys dating back to 2016, coach John Morris has received mixed news on the injury front following the disappointment of last Saturday's 28-16 loss to the Tigers.
Losing premiership-winning playmaker Chad Townsend with hamstring tightness - breaking a run of 107 consecutive appearances - Matt Moylan will make his first starting appearance for the season in the halves, while former South Sydney outside back Siosifa Talakai will break a three-year first grade exile off the bench.
Last meeting: Round 19 2019 - Sharks 16 Cowboys 14
Who to watch: At a time when most wingers possess the physique to play in the forwards and the speed to go the length of the field in the blink of an eye, North Queensland utility Ben Hampton has made the most of his unconventional move to the wing. Coming through the grades at Melbourne as an understudy in the halves, the 28-year-old has formed a potent combination on the left edge alongside Valentine Holmes to give the Cowboys an attacking threat that has yielded four tries over the first three rounds. Chiming in with a healthy work rate in excess of 100 metres per game, look for the unassuming number five to continue his promising start to the season.
Regarded as one of the fastest players in the league upon his introduction to first grade two years ago, Tongan representative Sione Katoa will have his sights set on holding down a place in the Sharks' best 17 for the duration of the season. Spending much of 2019 with the Newtown Jets after starting the year in the NRL squad, the 22-year-old speedster has shown tremendous athleticism and involvement over the first three rounds much to the delight of coach John Morris. Capable of contorting his body in ways bygone wingers could never envision, expect Katoa to turn half a chance close to the try-line into four points on Saturday evening.
The favourite: Averaging 27 points over the first three rounds in a major improvement to their attack, the Cowboys are expected to have too much fire power for the struggling Sharks.
My tip: While the loss of Jason Taumalolo will undoubtedly take a toll on the home side, the absence of Chad Townsend should be the difference after 80 minutes. Cowboys by 10.
1. Valentine Holmes 2. Kyle Feldt 3. Justin O'Neill 4. Esan Marsters 5. Ben Hampton 6. Scott Drinkwater 7. Jake Clifford 8. Francis Molo 9. Jake Granville 10. Jordan McLean 11. Mitchell Dunn 17. Gavin Cooper 13. Josh Mcguire 14. Reece Robson 15. John Asiata 16. Tom Gilbert 19. Shane Wright
1. Will Kennedy 2. Sione Katoa 3. Josh Dugan 4. Jesse Ramien 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo 6. Matt Moylan 7. Shaun Johnson 8. Toby Rudolf 9. Blayke Brailey 10. Aaron Woods 11. Briton Nikora 12. Wade Graham 13. Jack Williams 14. Connor Tracey 15. Braden Hamlin-Uele 16. Siosifa Talakai 17. Scott Sorensen
Referees: Chris Sutton; Sideline Officials: Belinda Sharpe, Matt Noyen; Video Referees: Steve Clark, Bryan Norrie;