Cowboys vs Panthers
Round 17 2026, Saturday 27 June 2026
Verdict: Panthers by 11
CowboysPanthers
Result: Cowboys 26 defeated Panthers 12 ✗ Tip wrong
Match facts
- Kick-off
- Sat 27 Jun, 5:30pm AEST
- Venue
- Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville
- Ladder going in
- Cowboys 9th, Panthers 1st
- Referee
- Wyatt Raymond
- Crowd
- 22,888
- Weather
- Fine, good ground
How the experts tipped
Cowboys 0%100% Panthers
| Expert | Tip | Tip correct |
|---|---|---|
| Jordan Baker | Panthers | ✗ |
| Chris Barrett | Panthers | ✗ |
| Zoe Samios | Panthers | ✗ |
| Zac Bailey | Panthers | ✗ |
| Frances Howe | Panthers | ✗ |
| Christian Nicolussi | Panthers | ✗ |
| Billie Eder | Panthers | ✗ |
| Adrian Proszenko | Panthers | ✗ |
| Dan Walsh | Panthers | ✗ |
| Andrew Johns | Panthers | ✗ |
| Emma Kemp | Panthers | ✗ |
| Neil Breen | Panthers | ✗ |
Going in
| Club | Ladder going in | Last five, oldest first | Model rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 9th | WWLLL | -2.6 |
| Panthers | 1st | WWWWL | +12.8 |
Last five games
Cowboys
| Round | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Round 16 | at Warriors | L 20–38 |
| Round 14 | v Dolphins | L 14–40 |
| Round 13 | at Raiders | L 12–26 |
| Round 12 | v Rabbitohs | W 30–18 |
| Round 11 | at Roosters | W 18–12 |
Panthers
| Round | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Round 16 | at Titans | L 18–19 |
| Round 14 | at Wests Tigers | W 68–0 |
| Round 13 | v Warriors | W 20–18 |
| Round 11 | v Dragons | W 28–6 |
| Round 10 | at Raiders | W 30–18 |
Head to head since 2024
| Season | Round | Game | Score | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Round 10 | Cowboys v Panthers | 30–30 | Queensland Country Bank Stadium |
| 2025 | Round 5 | Panthers v Cowboys | 18–22 | CommBank Stadium |
| 2024 | Round 17 | Panthers v Cowboys | 6–16 | BlueBet Stadium |
| 2024 | Round 8 | Cowboys v Panthers | 20–26 | Queensland Country Bank Stadium |
Team lists
Cowboys
- 1 Scott Drinkwater Fullback
- 2 Braidon Burns Winger
- 3 Zac Laybutt Centre
- 4 Tom Chester Centre
- 5 Murray Taulagi Winger
- 6 Jaxon Purdue Five-Eighth
- 7 Jake Clifford Halfback
- 8 Thomas Mikaele Prop
- 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 Interchange
- 16 Matthew Lodge Reserve
- 17 Coen Hess Interchange
- 19 Sam McIntyre Reserve
- 20 John Bateman Interchange
Coach: Todd Payten
Same 17 as last game (Round 16 v Warriors)
Panthers
- 1 Dylan Edwards Fullback
- 2 Thomas Jenkins Winger
- 3 Paul Alamoti Centre
- 4 Izack Tago Centre
- 5 Brian To'o Winger
- 6 Blaize Talagi Five-Eighth
- 7 Nathan Cleary (c) Halfback
- 8 Moses Leota Prop
- 9 Freddy Lussick Hooker
- 10 Lindsay Smith Interchange
- 11 Isaiah Papali'i 2nd Row
- 12 Liam Martin 2nd Row
- 13 Isaah Yeo (c) Lock
- 14 Jack Cogger Interchange
- 15 Scott Sorensen Interchange
- 16 Liam Henry Prop
- 17 Luke Garner Interchange
- 18 Billy Phillips Reserve
- 19 Billy Scott Reserve
Coach: Ivan Cleary
In Brian To'o, Isaah Yeo, Nathan Cleary
Out Billy Phillips, Billy Scott, Luron Patea
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 -2.6 and Panthers +12.8 on our scale, a gap of 15.4 points, plus 4.5 points for playing at their own ground.
Scoring
- Cowboys
- Tries Murray Taulagi 1', Jeremiah Nanai 29', Jeremiah Nanai 72', Jake Clifford 76'
- Goals 2/4, pen Jake Clifford 26', Jake Clifford 62', Jake Clifford 71'
- Half-time 10
- Panthers
- Tries Thomas Jenkins 11', Thomas Jenkins 37'
- Goals 1/2, pen Nathan Cleary 44'
- Half-time 10
Draw, teams and scoring: nrl.com match centre. Expert tips: The Sydney Morning Herald panel.