Cowboys vs Broncos
Round 21 2026, Saturday 25 July 2026
Verdict: Cowboys by 7
CowboysBroncos
Result: Cowboys 18 defeated Broncos 10 ✓ Tip correct
Match facts
- Kick-off
- Sat 25 Jul, 7:35pm AEST
- Venue
- Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville
- Ladder going in
- Cowboys 8th, Broncos 13th
- Crowd
- 25,461
- Weather
- Fine, good ground
How the experts tipped
Cowboys 42%58% Broncos
| Expert | Tip | Tip correct |
|---|---|---|
| Jordan Baker | Broncos | ✗ |
| Chris Barrett | Broncos | ✗ |
| Zoe Samios | Cowboys | ✓ |
| Zac Bailey | Broncos | ✗ |
| Frances Howe | Cowboys | ✓ |
| Christian Nicolussi | Cowboys | ✓ |
| Billie Eder | Broncos | ✗ |
| Adrian Proszenko | Broncos | ✗ |
| Dan Walsh | Broncos | ✗ |
| Andrew Johns | Broncos | ✗ |
| Emma Kemp | Cowboys | ✓ |
| Neil Breen | Cowboys | ✓ |
Going in
| Club | Ladder going in | Last five, oldest first | Model rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 8th | LLWWL | -1.2 |
| Broncos | 13th | LLLLW | -3.7 |
Last five games
Cowboys
| Round | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Round 20 | at Dolphins | L 16–36 |
| Round 19 | at Sea Eagles | W 19–18 |
| Round 17 | v Panthers | W 26–12 |
| Round 16 | at Warriors | L 20–38 |
| Round 14 | v Dolphins | L 14–40 |
Broncos
| Round | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Round 20 | at Panthers | W 14–12 |
| Round 18 | v Sharks | L 16–28 |
| Round 17 | v Roosters | L 18–24 |
| Round 15 | at Rabbitohs | L 6–48 |
| Round 14 | v Titans | L 23–28 |
Head to head since 2024
| Season | Round | Game | Score | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Round 6 | Broncos v Cowboys | 31–35 | Suncorp Stadium |
| 2025 | Round 26 | Cowboys v Broncos | 30–38 | Queensland Country Bank Stadium |
| 2025 | Round 3 | Broncos v Cowboys | 26–16 | Suncorp Stadium |
| 2024 | Round 23 | Cowboys v Broncos | 18–42 | Queensland Country Bank Stadium |
| 2024 | Round 4 | Broncos v Cowboys | 38–12 | Suncorp Stadium |
Team lists
Cowboys
- 1 Scott Drinkwater Fullback
- 2 Braidon Burns Winger
- 3 Jaxon Purdue Halfback
- 4 Tom Chester Centre
- 5 Murray Taulagi Winger
- 6 Jake Clifford Five-Eighth
- 8 Thomas Mikaele Interchange
- 9 Reed Mahoney Hooker
- 10 Jason Taumalolo Prop
- 11 Heilum Luki 2nd Row
- 12 Jeremiah Nanai 2nd Row
- 13 Reuben Cotter (c) Lock
- 14 Soni Luke Interchange
- 15 Griffin Neame Prop
- 16 Matthew Lodge Interchange
- 17 Coen Hess Interchange
- 18 Zac Laybutt Centre
- 19 Ethan King Reserve
- 20 Sam McIntyre Reserve
Coach: Todd Payten
Broncos
- 1 Reece Walsh Fullback
- 2 Josiah Karapani Winger
- 3 Kotoni Staggs Centre
- 4 Gehamat Shibasaki Centre
- 5 Deine Mariner Winger
- 6 Ezra Mam Five-Eighth
- 7 Adam Reynolds (c) Halfback
- 8 Preston Riki Prop
- 9 Cory Paix Hooker
- 10 Payne Haas Prop
- 11 Xavier Willison 2nd Row
- 12 Jordan Riki 2nd Row
- 13 Patrick Carrigan Lock
- 14 Ben Hunt Interchange
- 15 Ben Talty Interchange
- 16 Va'a Semu Interchange
- 17 Grant Anderson Reserve
- 18 Billy Walters Interchange
- 19 Luke Gale Reserve
Coach: Michael Maguire
Numbers as named by each club on nrl.com. Changes are measured against the club's previous game.
Why the model leaned this way
Going in, Cowboys rated -1.2 and Broncos -3.7 on our scale, a gap of 2.5 points, plus 4.5 points for playing at their own ground.
Scoring
- Cowboys
- Tries Heilum Luki 19', Jake Clifford 39'
- Goals 2/2, pen Scott Drinkwater 36', Scott Drinkwater 49', Scott Drinkwater 67'
- Half-time 14
- Broncos
- Tries Xavier Willison 23', Ezra Mam 54'
- Goals 1/2
- Half-time 4
Draw, teams and scoring: nrl.com match centre. Expert tips: The Sydney Morning Herald panel.