It’s simple for the Cowboys and Dragons when they face off in Townsville tonight. Lose and say goodbye to finals.

MATCH CENTRE: Cowboys v Dragons, scores, stats, live blog

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The Cowboys have underwhelmed all year, but a loss at home would put the nail in the coffin of their top eight hopes and increase the pressure on coach Todd Payten.

The Dragons are just one point clear of the Cowboys on the ladder and didn’t enter the season with the same expectations of the Townsville-based side, but it’s fair to say after some early promise, their 2025 campaign has too been one of disappointment.

North Queensland will be without stud winger Murray Taulagi (hamstring) and livewire prop Tom Mikaele.

For the Dragons, they will be without just one player from the side that lost to the Bulldogs in heartbreaking fashion last week, with young gun winger Sione Finau out with a shoulder injury. He’s been replaced in the backline by Mat Feagai.

TEAMS

Cowboys team: 1. Scott Drinkwater 2. Robert Derby 3. Jaxon Purdue 4. Zac Laybutt 5. Braidon Burns 6. Thomas Duffy 7. Tom Dearden 8. Harrison Edwards 9. Reece Robson 10. Griffin Neame 11. John Bateman 12. Jeremiah Nanai 13. Reuben Cotter 14. Karl Lawton 15. Kaiden Lahrs 16. Kai O’Donnell 17. Coen Hess 18. Jaxson Paulo 21. Marly Bitungane

Dragons team: 1. Clinton Gutherson 2. Tyrell Sloan 3. Moses Suli 4. Mathew Feagai 5. Corey Allan 6. Lyhkan King-Togia 7. Kyle Flanagan 8. Emre Guler 9. Damien Cook 10. David Klemmer 11. Luciano Leilua 12. Jaydn Su’A 13. Jack de Belin 14. Jacob Liddle 15. Blake Lawrie 16. Hamish Stewart 17. Michael Molo 18. Nicholas Tsougranis 19. Ben Murdoch-Masila

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