Rugby League: Round 12 Preview

compiled by PETER JESSUP

WESTS TIGERS V NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS

Leichhardt Oval, Saturday, 4.30pm

Tigers: Joel Caine, John Carlaw, Kevin McGuiness, Terry Hill, John Hopoate, Michael Gillett, Craig Field (c), John Skandalis, Ciriaco Mescia, Shane Walker, Mark O'Neill, Mark Stimson, Ben Duckworth; interchange Steve Georgalis, Brenton Pomery, Luke O'Donnell, Matt Seers.

Cowboys: Tim Brasher (c), Shane Kenward, Julian O'Neill, Paul Bowman, Graham Appo, Scott Prince, Paul Green, John Buttigieg, Paul Dezolt, Shaun Valentine, Mark Shipway, Robert Relf, Jeremy Schloss; interchange Geoff Bell, Peter Jones, Glenn Morrison, Greg Bourke.

Referee: Paul Simpkins.

The Cows have lost three to suspension (Goldthorpe high tackle, Brett Boyd and Damien Smith for the brawl), two to injury (Mark Shipway, shoulder, 2 weeks, Shaun Valentine, concussed, 1 week) and have no chance against a side that will go out to bash them as the Warriors did last weekend. Craig Field takes the captaincy for Jarrod McCracken. Wayne Pearce said he'd run the Kiwis backing up - Tyran Smith and Jason Lowrie - on and off the bench. It's hard for anyone at Leichhardt and after last week's fiasco it's a wonder the Cows aren't paying more for a win.

ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS V PENRITH PANTHERS

Sydney Football Stadium, Saturday, 9.30pm

Dragons:

Luke Patten, Nathan Blacklock, Jamie Ainscough, Shaun Timmins, Mark Gasnier, Anthony Mundine, Trent Barrett, Luke Bailey, Nathan Brown, Craig Smith, Darren Treacey, Lance Thompson, Wayne Bartrim; interchange Corey Pearson, Chris Leikvoll, Andrew Hart, Matt Cooper.

Panthers:

Peter Jorgensen, Robbie Beckett, Ryan Girdler, David Woods, Fred Petersen, Steve Carter, Matthew Rodwell, Carl Macnamara, Lee Hopkins, Tony Puletua, Scott Sattler, Matt Adamson, John Cross; interchange Mark Geyer, Jody Gall, Shane Elford, Matthew Reick.

Referee:

Sean Hampstead.

The Dragons almost capitulated against Brisbane last week, withdrawal of three key players in Treacey, Bartrim and Mundine before kick-off looking suspiciously like they'd resigned themselves to a loss. All three are back, Mundine (shoulder), Treacey (neck) and Bartrim (virus) all said to be 100 per cent. The Panthers' hooker Craig Gower is gone, admitting he'd strained abdominal muscles in training rather than the game last weekend and that he played for an Anzac jersey, and apologising to team mates. Hard to see Tony Puletua backing up for much of the 80 in his new role as a prop. They'll struggle to stop the forward roll.

NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS V PARRAMATTA EELS

Marathon Stadium, Sunday, 4.30pm

Knights:

Mark Hughes, Lenny Beckett, Adam MacDougall, Timana Tahu, Ben MacDougall, Matthew Johns, Andrew Johns, Danny Buderus, Matt Parsons, Ben Donaldson, David Fairleigh, Peter Shiels, Ben Kennedy, Bill Peden (c); interchange Glenn Grief, Steve Simpson, Paul Rauhihi, Sean Rudder.

Eels:

Brett Hodgson, Luke Burt, Daniel Wagon, Stuart Kelly, Eric Grothe, Jason Smith, Ben Kusto, David Westley, Dean Schifilliti, Michael Vella, Nathan Hindmarsh, Ian Hindmarsh, Jim Dymock (c); interchange Denis Moran, Andrew Ryan, David Vaeliki, Chad Robinson.

Referee:

Tim Mander.

The Knights are carrying a range of injuries, Andrew Johns ruled out of the test but named to play here and brother Matt with a bad ankle, Ben Kennedy a bad shoulder. Robbie O'Davis is gone from the back, out eight weeks with a foot fracture. The Eels on the other hand have players coming back and despite patchy performances all year look to be coming into a run of form. Vaeliki will return fulltime soon if he shapes again off the bench this week, his elusive running a bonus. Kiwi Nathan Cayless still has his left wrist plastered and is a month away.

NORTHERN EAGLES V BRISBANE BRONCOS

Brookvale Oval, Sunday, 4.30pm

Eagles:

Andrew King, Andrew Frew, Albert Torrens, Brett Grogan, Brandon Reeves, Michael Buettner, Jason Taylor, Josh Stuart, Geoff Toovey (c), Paul Stringer, Steve Menzies, Owen Cunningham, Daniel Gartner; interchange Greg Ebrill, Jamie Goddard, Dan Quinn, Steve Parsons.

Broncos:

Darren Lockyer, Lote Tuquiri, Michael de Vere, Tonie Carroll, Wendell Sailor, Ben Ikin, Shane Walker, Shane Webcke, Petero Civoniciva, Gorden Tallis (c), Brad Thorn, Kevin Campion; interchange Dane Carlaw, Ashley Harrison, Danny Bampton, Michael Hancock.

Referee:

Mark Oaten.

How long since there's been a dividend like that against the home side at Brookie? Probably never, a measure of how much the merger is struggling despite a huge cash injection that allowed them to keep what Peter Sharp believed to be best of two teams. Gone are prop Steve Trindall (suspended), and Adam Muir (hand). The Broncos meanwhile go from strength to strength, a measure of the club's talent-spotting and grooming and Wayne Bennett's footballing brain. They have three players backing up after the test but should still have far too much power for the sick bird.

AUCKLAND WARRIORS V SYDNEY SHARKS

Ericsson Stadium, Monday, 2.30pm

Warriors:

Scott Pethybridge, Lee Oudenryn, Nigel Vagana, Henry Faafili, John Simon, Stacey Jones, Joe Vagana, Robert Mears, Talite Liavaa, Tony Tuimavave, Matt Spence, Jason Death; interchange Shontayne Hape, Monty Betham, Matt Spence, Mark Tookey.

Sharks:

David Peachey, Mat Rogers, Paul Mellor, Russell Richardson, Colin Best, Adam Dykes, Jason Ferris, Jason Stevens, Dean Tresiter, Martin Lang, Nathan Long, Chris McKenna, Nick Graham; interchange Andrew Pierce, Luke Stuart, Mitch Healey, Sean Ryan.

Referee:

Mogsheen Jadwat.

The Warriors are a good chance, given the guts they showed at Townsville. They dug themselves out of a big hole, muscled up, learned how to defend a lead despite being down a man. The Sharks have lost their inspirational captain Andrew Ettingshausen with a hamstring tear, along with Brett Howland (forearm, 1 week) and Sam Isemonger (knee, one month). The home side are short of some good talent in Ivan Cleary and Awen Guttenbeil, both due back within a fortnight, and have enforced changes in midfield after the suspension on David Myles. But they won the fight and the game, got a points decision in the judicial scrap and that should lift them here.

SYDNEY CITY ROOSTERS V CANBERRA RAIDERS

Sydney Football Stadium, Monday, 4.30pm

Roosters:

Richie Barnett, Anthony Minichello, Ryan Cross, Robert Miles, Matt Sing, Brad Fittler (c), Adrian Lam, Ian Rubin, Simon Bonetti, Peter Cusack, Bryan Fletcher, Craig Fitzgibbon, Luke Ricketson; interchange Scott Logan, Dallas Hood, Luke Phillips, Shannon Hegarty.

Raiders:

Mark McLinden, Rod Jensen, Luke Williamson, Brandon Costin, Lesley Vainikolo, Laurie Daley (c), Brett Finch, Justin Morgan, Simon Woolford, Luke Davico, Anthony Colella, David Furner, Jason Crocker; interchange Andrew McFadden, Jason Burnham, David Atkins, Anthony Brann.

Referee:

Bill Harrigan.

Canberra fined fullback Brett Mullins A$25,000 and sent him to first grade after he instigated a push-and-shove match with Mark McLinden, who has his spot at the back, during the loss to the Eels last week. With that sort of scrapping in the team they can't win. The Roosters have been up and down, round and about, but are finally starting to find some sort of consistency. They still lack a kicker so it should be close. They'll miss Quentin Pongia as much as the Kiwis, the hardman gone for three months for surgery on torn tendons in his biceps. He may play again if they make the semis, otherwise it's game over.

CANTERBURY BULLDOGS V MELBOURNE STORM

Stadium Australia, Tuesday, 4.30pm

Bulldogs:

Rod Silva, Hazem El Masri, Darren Smith, Shane Marteene, Daryl Halligan, Brent Sherwin, Ricky Stuart, Darren Britt (c), Jason Hetherington, Dennis Scott, Bradley Clyde, Steve Reardon, Travis Norton; interchange Craig Polla-Mounter, Steven Price, Glen Hughes, Barry Ward.

Storm:

Robbie Ross, Matt Geyer, Aaron Moule, Tony Martin, Brad Watts, Tasesa Lavea, Brett Kimmorley, Robbie Kearns (c), Richard Swain, Rodney Howe, Matt Rua, Steve Kearney, Scott Hill; interchange Daniel Williams, Paul Maquet, Russell Bawden, Ben Roarty.

Referee:

Steve Clark.

The best bet of the round, the Storm hampered by having eight players backing up from the Friday night test, which is bound to be a smashing affair. Bruised and battered on Tuesday and not feeling much like football will be Kiwis Steve Kearney, Richard Swain, Tasesa Lavea and Matt Rua and Kangaroos Brett Kimmorley, Rodney Howe, Robbie Kearns and Scott Hill. The Dogs proved their muscle and bite last week against the bovver boys of the comp in the Tigers and should be able to do the same here given the home ground advantage, even though it's hard to see the fans among the 100,000 empty seats.

Matthew Ridge's picks:

Tigers

Dragons

Knights

Broncos

Warriors

Roosters

Bulldogs