Cowboys vs Wests Tigers
Round 26 2026, Saturday 29 August 2026
Verdict: Cowboys by 12
CowboysWests Tigers
Result: Cowboys 24 defeated Wests Tigers 10 ✓ Tip correct
Match facts
- Kick-off
- Sat 29 Aug, 7:35pm AEST
- Venue
- Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville
- Ladder going in
- Cowboys 8th, Wests Tigers 14th
- Referee
- Grant Atkins
- Crowd
- 17,888
- Weather
- Fine, good ground
How the experts tipped
Cowboys 92%8% Wests Tigers
| Expert | Tip | Tip correct |
|---|---|---|
| Jordan Baker | Cowboys | ✓ |
| Chris Barrett | Wests Tigers | ✗ |
| Zoe Samios | Cowboys | ✓ |
| Zac Bailey | Cowboys | ✓ |
| Frances Howe | Cowboys | ✓ |
| Christian Nicolussi | Cowboys | ✓ |
| Billie Eder | Cowboys | ✓ |
| Adrian Proszenko | Cowboys | ✓ |
| 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 | LWLWL | -3.6 |
| Wests Tigers | 14th | LLLLW | -10.6 |
Last five games
Cowboys
| Round | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Round 20 | at Dolphins | L 16–36 |
Wests Tigers
| Round | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Round 25 | at Roosters | W 25–24 |
| Round 24 | v Dragons | L 22–24 |
| Round 22 | v Eels | L 13–16 |
| Round 21 | at Raiders | L 10–56 |
| Round 20 | at Bulldogs | L 0–32 |
Head to head since 2024
| Season | Round | Game | Score | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Round 2 | Wests Tigers v Cowboys | 44–16 | Leichhardt Oval |
| 2025 | Round 25 | Wests Tigers v Cowboys | 28–34 | Leichhardt Oval |
| 2025 | Round 13 | Cowboys v Wests Tigers | 32–28 | Queensland Country Bank Stadium |
| 2024 | Round 22 | Wests Tigers v Cowboys | 30–48 | Leichhardt Oval |
| 2024 | Round 12 | Cowboys v Wests Tigers | 42–28 | Queensland Country Bank Stadium |
Team lists
Cowboys
- 1 Scott Drinkwater Fullback
- 2 Braidon Burns Winger
- 3 Jaxon Purdue Centre
- 4 Tom Chester Centre
- 5 Zac Laybutt Winger
- 6 Jake Clifford Five-Eighth
- 7 Tom Dearden (c) Halfback
- 8 Griffin Neame 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 Thomas Mikaele Interchange
- 16 John Bateman Reserve
- 17 Coen Hess Interchange
- 18 Kai O'Donnell Reserve
- 19 Ethan King Interchange
Coach: Todd Payten
Wests Tigers
- 1 Jahream Bula Fullback
- 2 Junior Tupou Winger
- 3 Solomone Saukuru Centre
- 4 Patrick Herbert Centre
- 5 Jeral Skelton Winger
- 6 Jarome Luai (c) Five-Eighth
- 7 Jock Madden Halfback
- 8 Terrell May Prop
- 9 Apisai Koroisau (c) Hooker
- 10 Fonua Pole Prop
- 11 Samuela Fainu 2nd Row
- 12 Tony Sukkar 2nd Row
- 13 Alex Seyfarth Lock
- 14 Heath Mason Interchange
- 15 Sione Fainu Interchange
- 16 Ethan Roberts Interchange
- 17 Bunty Afoa Interchange
- 18 Tristan Hope Reserve
- 20 Faaletino Tavana Reserve
Coach: Benji Marshall
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 -3.6 and Wests Tigers -10.6 on our scale, a gap of 7.0 points, plus 4.5 points for playing at their own ground.
Scoring
- Cowboys
- Tries Tom Chester 6', Heilum Luki 53', Jaxon Purdue 58', Tom Chester 78'
- Goals 3/4, pen Scott Drinkwater 22'
- Half-time 8
- Wests Tigers
- Tries Jeral Skelton 11', Junior Tupou 30'
- Goals 1/2
- Half-time 10
Draw, teams and scoring: nrl.com match centre. Expert tips: The Sydney Morning Herald panel.