The Gold Coast Titans have gained two Origin forwards but lost another for Friday’s crucial match with Wests Tigers at Skilled Park.
After missing last week’s 12-22 away loss to the Cowboys, Greg Bird returns from suspension in his preferred back row position.
Queensland lock forward Ashley Harrison is also back after missing two matches with a hamstring strain.
However those gains come at the expense of Anthony Laffranchi who could miss up to two months with an ankle injury sustained in Townsville.
Riley Brown drops back to the Queensland Cup in the only other change to the 18 man squad from last week while Ben Ridge drops to a five man bench.
Luke Capewell and William Zillman will play fullback and five-eighth respectively, as they did against the Cowboys, while interchange prop Michael Henderson plays his 100th NRL match.
The Titans, with just one win from five games, face an almost must-win match against a Tigers side many rate a major Premiership contender.
Gold Coast currently sits last on the competition table with 2011 by far their worse season to date in their short five year history.
In some good news, the Titans today announced rising sensation Jamal Idris will join the club from next season on a five year deal.
Friday night’s match will go live into Queensland on Channel Nine from 7:30pm.
Two Cowboys suspended
Forwards Gavin Cooper and James Tamou have been rubbed out of Saturday night’s match with Canberra at Dairy Farmers Stadium.
Cooper was suspended for one match after the NRL Match Review committee charged him with a grade one dangerous throw following the win over the Titans.
Meanwhile Tamou, and fellow squad member Blake Leary, have been stood down by the club for breaking team alcohol rules.
North Queensland have a policy stating alcohol is “not to be consumed during a playing week” so both players will miss one game.
Ashton Sims and Scott Bolton come into the Cowboys starting side to face Canberra for the absent Cooper and Tamou.
The new faces on a five man bench are former Dragon Ricky Thorby alongside brothers Leeson and Isaak Ah Mau.
If Thorby plays on Saturday night it will be his first game for the Cowboys while Isaak Ah Mau has not played an NRL game this season after a handful of matches in 2010.
Leeson Ah Mau played the opening four NRL games before being named 18th man against the Titans.
North Queensland is searching for their first back-to-back wins of the season and will start favourites against a Raiders side facing their fifth consecutive loss.
The match kicks off at 7:30pm Saturday and will be available live on Fox Sports Viewer Choice.
Broncos Unchanged
The Brisbane Broncos make their first trip to Sydney for the season when they face the Roosters in Gosford on Saturday night.
The Broncos have won their last four matches, including a 17-6 win over Newcastle last night, to lead the competition alongside Melbourne and St George-Illawarra.
They have also conceded a miserly 44 points for the season and are yet to give up a second half try.
Coach Anthony Griffin today named an unchanged team for the match with the Roosters.
Ben Te’o has been retained in the centres with Mitchell Dodds, Dane Carlaw, Nick Kenny and Corey Norman forming a new look bench.
Carlaw was charged with a ‘crusher tackle’ following the Knights game but his clean record will ensure he avoids suspension.
Shane Tronc and Josh McGuire will probably play Queensland Cup again as part of Griffin’s self-confessed ‘front row rotation’ policy, while winger Dale Copley is back in the Under 20’s.
Fullback Josh Hoffman is still nursing a corked shin while Scott Anderson (calf) and Ben Hunt (knee) are still likely at least a week away as well.
The Broncos will make a rare visit to Gosford’s Bluetongue Stadium with their early season Roosters match traditionally played on Good Friday at the Sydney Football Stadium.
The game will kick-off at 7:30pm Saturday and, like the Cowboys match, available live through Fox Sports Viewers Choice.
Gold Coast Titans vs. Tigers, Friday 7:35pm, (Channel Nine, live)
Luke Capewell, Steve Michaels, Esi Tonga, Bodene Thompson, David Mead, William Zillman, Scott Prince (c), Luke Bailey, Nathan Friend, Matthew White, Greg Bird, Mark Minichiello, Ashley Harrison. Interchange: Michael Henderson, Sam Tagataese, Ryan James, Ben Ridge, Luke O’Dwyer (one to be omitted).
North Queensland Cowboys vs. Canberra, Saturday 7:30pm, (Fox Sports, live)
Matthew Bowen, Ashley Graham, Antonio Winterstein, Willie Tonga, Kalifa Faifai Loa, Ray Thompson, Johnathan Thurston (c), Matt Scott (c), Aaron Payne, Ashton Sims, Scott Bolton, Glenn Hall, Dallas Johnson. Interchange: James Segeyaro, Leeson Ah Mau, Tariq Sims, Ricky Thorby, Isaak Ah Mau (one to be omitted).
Brisbane Broncos vs. Roosters, Saturday 7:30pm, (Fox Sports, live)
Gerard Beale, Jack Reed, Ben Te’o, Justin Hodges, Jharal Yow Yeh, Darren Lockyer (c), Peter Wallace, Ben Hannant, Andrew McCullough, Sam Thaiday, Alex Glenn, Matt Gillett, Corey Parker. Interchange: Mitchell Dodds, Dane Carlaw, Nick Kenny, Corey Norman.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment