Brisbane Broncos vs. North Queensland Cowboys: NRL Preview, Live Stream, TV Info
ANZ Stadium in Sydney, Australia, plays host to the first ever all-Queensland grand final in National Rugby League history on Sundy.
Brisbane Broncos and North Queensland Cowboys meet for a second time in the playoffs this year—only this is a winner-takes-all showdown with the Premiership on the line.
The Broncos triumphed 16-12 when the two state rivals clashed at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on September 12 in the qualifying finals.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
However, since then, the Cowboys have crushed Cronulla Sharks and Melbourne Storm to set up a rematch, meaning New South Wales will be the scene for Queenslanders celebrating no matter who wins this weekend.
When: Sunday, October 4, at 7:15 p.m. local / 09:15 a.m. BST
Where: ANZ Stadium, Sydney, Australia
TV: Nine Network (Australia), SKY Sport (New Zealand), Premier Sports (UK), SKY Pacific (Pacific Islands), Orbit Showtime (Middle East), Roger Sportsnet (Canada), Setanta Sports (Asia), Fox Sports (Africa)
Live stream: NRL.com (regional restrictions apply)
Overview
The stage is set for a toe-to-toe battle between the rivals.
In one corner, you have the Broncos. Coached by Wayne Bennett—a man who has never lost in seven previous NRL grand finals—they have made the most of home advantage to reach Sydney.
In the other corner, though, are the Cowboys. Led by four-time Dally M award winner Johnathan Thurston, they are bang in form and fresh off two huge victories in the playoffs.
The clash between the pair three weeks ago only really revealed that there is little to choose between them.
Brisbane finished the regular season in second place in the table. They have since beaten the Cowboys and minor premiers Sydney Roosters to reach the premiership final, but now for the first time have to travel away from their own back yard.
They are boosted by the availability of captain Justin Hodges, who will bring the curtain down on his playing career at the weekend.
The experienced centre was in danger of missing out on the final after being placed on report for a dangerous throw during the 31-12 win over the Roosters.
However, the judiciary panel found Hodges not guilty at a hearing attended by the player on Tuesday, meaning Hodges is free to lead out his team in his farewell appearance.
Thurston, meanwhile, decided not to travel to his big event during the week. The half-back was instead at a club function in Townsville, Australia, on Monday night when it was announced in Sydney he had won the Dally M Player of the Year medal again.
It is the fourth time he has achieved the award, a feat matched by no other player. He is also a back-to-back winner, having shared it with Jarryd Hayne in 2014.
If Thurston is to crown a momentous season as a champion, he and the rest of the Cowboys have to end Bennett’s astonishing winning streak in NRL grand finals.
The Brisbane coach won six titles during his first spell with his current employers, while he was also successful in 2009 when he was in charge of St George Illawarra Dragons.
He did lose when co-coach of the Canberra Raiders in the 1987 New South Wales Rugby League grand final. Plenty has happened since then, however, and Bennett has performed wonders in his first season back at the Broncos.
Looking back to the regular season only confirms how tight the game could be.
Both sides won on home soil, both finished with 38 points in the standings and both scored plenty of points (North Queensland managed 587, only 15 more than the Broncos).
Brisbane had the second-best defensive record, but in-form North Queensland have conceded just 12 points in their last two outings. It is too tight to call, and that is exactly the way it should be when the trophy is on the line.
Form guide
Brisbane Broncos:
Won 31-12 vs. Sydney Roosters
Won 16-12 vs. North Queensland Cowboys
Lost 15-8 vs. Melbourne Storm
Won 47-12 vs. South Sydney Rabbitohs
Lost 12-10 vs. Sydney Roosters
Won 32-6 vs. St George Illawarra Dragons
North Queensland Cowboys:
Won 32-12 vs. Melbourne Storm
Won 39-0 vs. Cronulla Sharks
Lost 16-12 vs. Brisbane Broncos
Won 42-12 vs. Gold Coast Titans
Lost 14-6 vs. Melbourne Storm
Won 50-16 vs. New Zealand Warriors
Players to watch
Brisbane Broncos: Darius Boyd
Full-back Darius Boyd was a member of the Brisbane side that won the grand final back in 2006.
A teenager on the periphery of things back then, now he is an on-field leader for a Broncos side that few thought at the start of the season would still be standing by the final weekend.
Boyd sparked the win over Sydney in the preliminary final when he intercepted Shaun Kenny-Dowall's loose pass to score the opening try inside a minute.
He also has an important role to play as the last line of defence, too. North Queensland will be hoping to keep him busy at the back, rather than allowing him to cross their line.
North Queensland Cowboys: Michael Morgan
It is too obvious to pick Thurston. Besides, you can bet that the defensive-minded Bennett has hatched a plan to try and keep the Cowboys' co-captain quiet.
Therefore, it is vital for North Queensland that Michael Morgan helps take some of the weight of expectation off the shoulders of his half-back partner.
Morgan is not just a creator, but also a scorer—he has crossed the line four times in the last two games, having made his comeback from injury in the playoff loss to Brisbane.
He represented Queensland in State of Origin this year, so he has had experience of playing in big games. This, though, has to be the biggest of his career to date.
Key battle: The half-backs
The forwards make the hard yards, but the halves are the ones who create the opportunities.
Brisbane’s pairing of Ben Hunt and Anthony Milford has been outstanding throughout 2015—it is understandable that the Broncos are quickly trying to sort out a new contract for the latter, per Peter Badel of the Daily Telegraph.
They will go up against the combination of Thurston and Morgan, who has himself had an excellent season after moving up from full-back.
Each side has a dynamic duo that can split open the opposition. If they are given a platform on which to perform, they can dominate proceedings and decide the destiny of the trophy.
Teams
Brisbane Broncos: 1 Darius Boyd, 2 Corey Oates, 3 Jack Reed, 4 Justin Hodges, 5 Jordan Kahu, 6 Anthony Milford, 7 Ben Hunt, 8 Sam Thaiday, 9 Andrew McCullough, 10 Adam Blair, 11 Alex Glenn, 12 Matt Gillett, 13 Corey Parker
Interchange: Jarrod Wallace, Mitchell Dodds, Joe Ofahengaue, Kodi Nikorima, Dale Copley
North Queensland Cowboys: 1 Lachlan Coote, 2 Kyle Feldt, 3 Justin O'Neill, 4 Kane Linnett, 5 Antonio Winterstein, 6 Michael Morgan, 7 Johnathan Thurston, 8 Matthew Scott, 9 Jake Granville, 10 James Tamou, 11 Gavin Cooper, 12 Ethan Lowe, 13 Jason Taumalolo
Interchange: Rory Kostjasyn, John Asiata, Scott Bolton, Ben Hannant, Ray Thompson
Prediction
If you go with your head, Brisbane are the likely winners. They demolished Sydney last Friday and Bennett's track record in finals makes it tough to pick against them.
However, if you're listening to your heart, it's telling you to back Thurston in his attempts to lead North Queensland to their first NRL title at the end of their 20th anniversary season.
The law of averages suggests Brisbane has to lose a final under Bennett at some stage, so let's go with the heart—Cowboys to win a close one.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
