Queensland Country Bank Stadium will play host to Saturday's NRL game between North Queensland Cowboys and Newcastle Knights. The game kicks off at 7:50 pm with North Queensland Cowboys heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the North Queensland Cowboys vs. Newcastle Knights game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Saturday September 14, 2024 at 7:50 pm

Where: Queensland Country Bank Stadium

Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE

North Queensland Cowboys vs Newcastle Knights Odds

North Queensland Cowboys vs Newcastle Knights Preview

North Queensland Cowboys snuck under the radar to grab fifth spot with some big late-season wins, earning a home elimination final against a Newcastle Knights side that came from the clouds to snatch the last available spot in the Top 8.  

The Cowboys won six of their last seven games, bookending an overwhelming unimpressive 38-30 win over an unrecognisable Storm side with blistering victories over Canberra at home (42-4) and Canterbury in Sydney (44-6).  

The latter was the Cowboys at their best: battering the Bulldogs through the middle and icing their opportunities with direct play on the edges and quick ball movement. Second-rower Heilum Luki was especially destructive, while Jake Clifford continues to justify his recently-won place at halfback. 

Veteran prop Jordan McLean is back for the Cowboys, pushing Sam McIntyre to the bench and Thomas Mikaele out of the 17.  

The Knights made something of a largely meandering, disappointing season by winning four of their last five and reaching the playoffs for the fourth time in five years as their rivals stumbled.  

Last week’s loser-bows-out clash with the Dolphins was an ideal dress rehearsal for the finals, grinding out a 14-6 win with outstanding goal-line defence complementing the rare class of Kalyn Ponga.  

The Knights will run out the same side, with Kai Pearce-Paul named in the reserves as he looks to return from a leg laceration that ruled him out of the last two rounds.  

The Cowboys have won nine of their last 12 against the Knights, including the last three straight. A 21-20 golden point victory was the Cowboys’ eighth straight against the Knights in Townsville.  

One glaring statistic going against Newcastle is a 1-9 record against fellow Top 8 teams. North Queensland leads all teams in the finals on that metric with a 7-3 record. The Knights have also won just one of their last four on the road, while the Cowboys have won four of their last five at home. 

The Cowboys have been prone to the odd aberration at Queensland Country Bank Stadium – including conceding 40 points to the Warriors and Broncos during the second half of the season – but they seem to have found a groove more recently and last week’s performance was first-class.  

The Knights have a couple of favourable match-ups, but too much hinges on Ponga’s ability to create points and the club’s first away finals loss since 2013 seems unlikely.