Cowboys vs Raiders
Round 27 2026, Saturday 5 September 2026
Verdict: Cowboys by 2
CowboysRaiders
Result: Raiders 50 defeated Cowboys 30 ✗ Tip wrong
Match facts
- Kick-off
- Sat 5 Sep, 5:30pm AEST
- Venue
- Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville
- Ladder going in
- Cowboys 8th, Raiders 12th
- Crowd
- 18,982
- Weather
- Fine, good ground
How the experts tipped
Cowboys 75%25% Raiders
| Expert | Tip | Tip correct |
|---|---|---|
| Jordan Baker | Cowboys | ✗ |
| Chris Barrett | Raiders | ✓ |
| Zoe Samios | Raiders | ✓ |
| Zac Bailey | Cowboys | ✗ |
| Frances Howe | Cowboys | ✗ |
| Christian Nicolussi | Cowboys | ✗ |
| Billie Eder | Cowboys | ✗ |
| Adrian Proszenko | Raiders | ✓ |
| Dan Walsh | Cowboys | ✗ |
| Andrew Johns | Cowboys | ✗ |
| Emma Kemp | Cowboys | ✗ |
| Neil Breen | Cowboys | ✗ |
Going in
| Club | Ladder going in | Last five, oldest first | Model rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 8th | WLWLW | -3.4 |
| Raiders | 12th | WLLWL | -1.1 |
Last five games
Cowboys
| Round | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Round 26 | v Wests Tigers | W 24–10 |
| Round 24 | at Eels | L 30–32 |
| Round 23 | at Titans | W 30–8 |
| Round 22 | v Roosters | L 12–82 |
| Round 21 | v Broncos | W 18–10 |
Raiders
| Round | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Round 25 | v Broncos | L 30–34 |
| Round 24 | at Sharks | W 24–20 |
| Round 23 | v Knights | L 24–30 |
| Round 22 | at Panthers | L 18–42 |
| Round 21 | v Wests Tigers | W 56–10 |
Head to head since 2024
| Season | Round | Game | Score | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Round 13 | Raiders v Cowboys | 26–12 | GIO Stadium |
| 2025 | Round 4 | Cowboys v Raiders | 30–20 | Queensland Country Bank Stadium |
| 2024 | Round 24 | Cowboys v Raiders | 42–4 | Queensland Country Bank Stadium |
| 2024 | Round 15 | Raiders v Cowboys | 16–34 | GIO Stadium |
Team lists
Cowboys
- 1 Scott Drinkwater Fullback
- 2 Braidon Burns Winger
- 3 Jaxon Purdue Centre
- 4 Tom Chester Centre
- 5 Robert Derby Winger
- 6 Jake Clifford Five-Eighth
- 7 Tom Dearden (c) Halfback
- 8 Coen Hess Prop
- 9 Reed Mahoney Hooker
- 10 Jason Taumalolo Prop
- 11 Heilum Luki 2nd Row
- 12 John Bateman 2nd Row
- 13 Reuben Cotter (c) Lock
- 14 Soni Luke Interchange
- 15 Sam McIntyre Interchange
- 16 Thomas Mikaele Interchange
- 17 Kaiden Lahrs Interchange
- 18 Kai O'Donnell Reserve
- 19 Ethan King Reserve
Coach: Todd Payten
In Kaiden Lahrs, Robert Derby, Sam McIntyre
Out Griffin Neame, Jeremiah Nanai, Zac Laybutt
Raiders
- 1 Kaeo Weekes Fullback
- 2 Jed Stuart Winger
- 3 Simi Sasagi Centre
- 4 Matthew Timoko Centre
- 5 Xavier Savage Winger
- 6 Ethan Strange Five-Eighth
- 7 Coby Black Halfback
- 8 Josh Papalii Prop
- 9 Owen Pattie Hooker
- 10 Joseph Tapine (c) Prop
- 11 Noah Martin 2nd Row
- 12 Matty Nicholson 2nd Row
- 13 Ata Mariota Lock
- 14 Malachi Smith Interchange
- 15 Joe Roddy Interchange
- 16 Morgan Smithies Interchange
- 17 Vena Patuki-Case Interchange
- 18 Tom Starling Reserve
- 19 Daine Laurie Reserve
Coach: Ricky Stuart
In Coby Black, Malachi Smith, Morgan Smithies, Noah Martin, Vena Patuki-Case
Out Corey Horsburgh, Daine Laurie, Ethan Sanders, Tom Starling, Zac Hosking
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 -3.4 and Raiders -1.1 on our scale, a gap of 2.3 points, plus 4.5 points for playing at their own ground.
Scoring
- Cowboys
- Tries Jake Clifford 19', John Bateman 21', Scott Drinkwater 44', Braidon Burns 59', Jason Taumalolo 71'
- Goals 5/5
- Half-time 12
- Raiders
- Tries Xavier Savage 10', Kaeo Weekes 12', Coby Black 14', Josh Papalii 29', Xavier Savage 32', Coby Black 51', Xavier Savage 61', Ethan Strange 64'
- Goals 8/8, pen Coby Black 75'
- Half-time 30
Draw, teams and scoring: nrl.com match centre. Expert tips: The Sydney Morning Herald panel.