Match Preview: Round 15 – Dolphins v Cowboys
In the only top-eight clash of the round, the seventh-place Dolphins head to Townsville to take on the sixth-place Cowboys in a Saturday night showdown that could see the loser slip out of the top eight.
Both sides will be without State of Origin representatives, one for the Dolphins and four for the Cowboys, which could favour the visitors. Still, a growing list of injuries for the Dolphins will see multiple starting-calibre players missing the remainder of the season.
The Dolphins come into the match with momentum, having won three of their last four games and scoring an incredible 100 combined points in their previous two.
In the same period, the Cowboys have won only a single game, having drawn another and lost two.
Both sides recognise this game's importance and ramifications on the competition ladder, with the winner setting themselves up for a run at the finals with 12 rounds to play.
Team Changes
Jake Averillo has been named at fullback for the Dolphins, with Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow absent from the side after being selected for Queensland in State of Origin game two. Max Feagai returns to the team at right centre, completing the backline reshuffle, with the remainder of the starting side unchanged from last week. Ray Stone will replace Max Plath on the interchange bench, with Plath sidelined for a knee injury.
The Cowboys will be without Tom Dearden, Reece Robson, Reuben Cotter, and Jeremiah Nanai due to State of Origin selection. At the same time, John Bateman and Viliami Vailea will miss the game on suspension. Murray Taulagi, Kai O'Donnell, and Jason Taumalolo are set to return from injury, with Braidon Burns, Jake Clifford, and Thomas Mikaele also named on this week's side. Kaiden Lahrs will make his NRL debut.
Clash of the week
Round 15's clash of the week focuses on an exciting match-up between each team's number 6, with Kodi Nikorima and Jaxon Purdue going head-to-head.
The veteran, Kodi Nikorima, a seasoned professional with over 200 NRL games and 18 caps for New Zealand, has found his groove within this Dolphins side. Not just the partner of young Halfback Isaiya Katoa, Nikorima is an attacking weapon capable of dancing around defenders with his speed to find the try line or to put a teammate in a position to score. Vital to the Dolphins' attacking game plan, he has four tries and 10 try assists so far this season and has played a significant role in his side's recent form that has seen them move into the top eight on the competition ladder.
The rookie, Jaxon Purdue, in year two of his NRL career, has recently switched from the centres to the five-eighth role for the Cowboys, while locking down a permanent position in the starting side. The 19-year-old has scored eight tries so far this season, with the move to his preferred position in the halves not slowing down his attacking flair. In a test for the speedy half, Purdue will have an opportunity to step up this week in Tom Dearden's absence, looking to build on an already successful season.
