NRL Round 18: Cowboys v Sea Eagles tips, preview & odds | July 6
| North Queensland Cowboys v Manly Sea Eagles NRL Betting Odds & Game Info | |
|---|---|
| Best odds | Cowboys -140.85 at Neds | Sea Eagles +110 at Bet365 |
| When | Saturday, July 6 | 7:30pm AEST |
| Where | Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville |
| Last time they met | Sea Eagles 8–19 Cowboys (R20, 2023) |
| Watch live | Fox Sports, Kayo |
Cowboys v Sea Eagles best bets
Manly Sea Eagles to win
Jason Saab anytime tryscorer
Over 50.5 total points
Round 18: North Queensland Cowboys v Manly Sea Eagles preview
The North Queensland Cowboys will look to continue their strong run of recent form in round 18 of the NRL Premiership when they host the Manly Sea Eagles at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
In the last five weeks, the Cowboys have defeated the Panthers and Roosters, along with the Raiders and Tigers. They’ve turned their poor start to the season around, and now North Queensland has risen from 12th to seventh on the NRL ladder.
The Sea Eagles have struggled over the last six weeks without their State of Origin representatives, losing three of their last five matches against the Broncos, Panthers, and Rabbitohs. Now, with their best players back on deck, the club will be looking to secure much-needed wins to try and secure a spot in the top eight at the end of the season.
Cowboys head coach Todd Payten will welcome back his Queensland contingent—winger Murray Taulagi, centre Valentine Holmes, five-eighth Tom Dearden, hooker Reece Robson, second-rower Jeremiah Nanai and lock-forward Reuben Cotter to the starting side.
Jaxon Purdue, Braidon Burns, Jake Clifford, Tom Chester, Jake Clifford and Thomas Mikaele have all been dropped from the starting side, while Harrison Edwards, Sam McIntyre and Kulikefu Finefeuiaki all dropped back to the interchange bench to make way for the starting stars.
Anthony Seibold will also welcome back several stars to the Manly side, including Tom Trbojevic (hamstring) and Reuben Garrick (concussion) from injuries in the centres. Captain Daly Cherry-Evans will lead the side at halfback, Haumole Olakau’atu will line up in the second row, and Jake Trbojevic will lock the scrum. Josh Aloiai (suspension) has also been named in the front row.
Tolutau Koula will start at fullback, with Lehi Hopoate named on the interchange bench alongside Karl Lawton, Ethan Bullemor, and Nathan Brown.
Aaron Schoupp, Corey Waddell, Ben Condon, Caleb Navale, Aitasi James and Jaxson Paulo have all been dropped from last week’s side.
Punters have favoured the Cowboys since betting markets opened at $1.79, backing them into as short as $1.71 to win this match.
Cowboys v Sea Eagles R18 teams
North Queensland Cowboys
- Scott Drinkwater
- Kyle Feldt
- Valentine Holmes
- Viliami Vailea
- Murray Taulagi
- Tom Dearden
- Chad Townsend
- Jordan McLean
- Reece Robson
- Jason Taumalolo
- Heilum Luki
- Jeremiah Nanai
- Reuben Cotter
- Sam McIntyre
- Harrison Edwards
- Kulikefu Finefeuiaki
- Griffin Neame
Manly Sea Eagles
- Tolutau Koula
- Jason Saab
- Tom Trbojevic
- Reuben Garrick
- Tommy Talau
- Luke Brooks
- Daly Cherry-Evans
- Toafofoa Sipley
- Jake Simpkin
- Josh Aloiai
- Haumole Olakau’atu
- Ben Trbojevic
- Jake Trbojevic
- Lehi Hopoate
- Karl Lawton
- Ethan Bullemor
- Nathan Brown
Cowboys v Sea Eagles predictions
Surprisingly, the Sea Eagles have won three of their last five matches against the Cowboys, with two of those wins coming at this ground. Given that the away side has won seven of the last eight clashes between these two sides and the Cowboys have lost three of their last four home games, the Sea Eagles are a great value bet to win this match at $2.10.
It’s expected that Sea Eagle Tom Trbojevic will return at left centre, which will be a massive boost, lining up inside winger Jason Saab. The Manly flyer has scored in three of his side’s five wins this season, as well as notching up at least one try in six of his last seven appearances outside of Sydney. Trbojevic’s exceptional ball-playing at centre should lead to a Saab try.
Clear, dry weather is predicted for Townsville on Saturday evening, which should make for a high-quality, attacking game between two sides littered with representative stars. Each of the Cowboys’ last five home matches has finished over the total points line, and tonight’s clash should also be a high-scoring affair with more than 50.5 points scored.
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