The second XXXX Derby of 2026 arrives with plenty on the line as North Queensland look to strengthen their grip on a Top Eight spot and Brisbane fight to keep their fading finals hopes alive. With Tom Dearden and Scott Drinkwater leading the Cowboys against a Broncos side inspired by Reece Walsh’s match-winning display against Penrith, another high-scoring chapter in one of rugby league’s fiercest rivalries could be on the cards.

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Matchday Details

Saturday, 25 July 2026 – 7:35pm AEST – Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville
📺 Foxtel / Kayo
Referee: Tyson Brough | Senior Review Official: Ashley Klein

North Queensland Cowboys: 1. Scott Drinkwater, 2. Braidon Burns, 3. Jaxon Purdue, 4. Tom Chester, 5. Murray Taulagi, 6. Jake Clifford, 7. Tom Dearden (c), 8. Thomas Mikaele, 9. Reed Mahoney, 10. Jason Taumalolo, 11. Heilum Luki, 12. Jeremiah Nanai, 13. Reuben Cotter, 14. Soni Luke, 15. Griffin Neame, 16. Matthew Lodge, 17. Coen Hess, 18. Zac Laybutt, 19. Ethan King, 20. Sam McIntyre, 21. Kaiden Lahrs, 22. Liam Sutton

Brisbane Broncos: 1. Reece Walsh, 2. Josiah Karapani, 3. Kotoni Staggs, 4. Gehamat Shibasaki, 5. Deine Mariner, 6. Ezra Mam, 7. Adam Reynolds (c), 8. Preston Riki, 9. Cory Paix, 10. Payne Haas, 11. Xavier Willison, 12. Jordan Riki, 13. Patrick Carrigan, 14. Ben Hunt, 15. Ben Talty, 16. Va’a Semu, 17. Grant Anderson, 18. Billy Walters, 19. Luke Gale, 20. Hayze Perham, 21. Jesse Arthars, 22. Joshua Coric

Match Preview

The second XXXX Derby for 2026 has plenty of top eight implications.

After eight straight losses, Brisbane (6-11) kept their slim finals hopes alive with a 14-12 win over Penrith (Brisbane scoring the only try of the second half). Reece Walsh’s three try assists, and his conversion of Josiah Karapani’s try, was the difference. They sit in 13th, six points outside the eight, and need to win their last seven games (and erase their -124 differential) to have any hope of finals.

North Queensland (10-8) stumbled after their comeback Golden Point win against Manly Warringah, losing 36-16 to The Dolphins at Suncorp Stadium. The returning Tom Dearden sparked the Cowboys early (a try and a try assist), but the Dolphins scored four second half tries to build on a 12-10 lead. The Cowboys’ erratic defence (conceding an average of 25 points/game) was highlighted by their 55 missed tackles against the Dolphins. The Cowboys stayed in eighth on 24 points, but their -36 differential is an issue with Manly (22), Canterbury-Bankstown (22), Melbourne (20), and Canberra (20) on their tail. The Cowboys’ resurgence in 2026 arguably saved Todd Payten’s job. He was one of the coaches under the spotlight at the start of the season, but recently re-signed until the end of 2028.

A surprise omission against the Dolphins, Jake Clifford is back and will partner Dearden in the halves. Jaxon Purdue moves to centre and Zac Laybutt is on the bench. Tom Mikaele returns from concussion protocols. For Brisbane, Brendan Piakura is out due to concussion protocols and Preston Riki is in the front row. Billy Walters is on the extended bench, aiming to play his first game of the season.

The first XXXX Derby (Round 6 at Suncorp Stadium) was arguably the turning point for both the Cowboys and Broncos’ seasons. The 35-31 win was the Cowboys’ fourth straight (after starting 0-2), while the loss broke a three-game winning streak for Brisbane. Since then, North Queensland have hovered around the lower part of the top eight, while Brisbane have only won three more games (and only one since Round 9).

While Brisbane dominated the first decade of the Queensland rivalry, North Queensland broke through with a 10-0 win in the 2004 finals. They beat the Broncos in the iconic 2015 Grand Final and backed it up with a semi-final win in Townsville the following year (following two one-points results in their regular season clashes, with Brisbane and North Queensland winning one each). This rivalry was at its peak in the 2010s, with plenty of games decided by single figures or going to Golden Point. Brisbane lead the head-to-head 42-21 (with two draws) since 1995, with the Broncos winning six of the last seven games.

The key match up is the fullback battle between Scott Drinkwater and Reece Walsh. With only four regular seasons games at Queensland Country Bank Stadium left, Drinkwater will be motivated to give Cowboys fans some good memories before he moves to St George Illawarra. He’s played all of the Cowboys’ 18 games, scoring 42 points (nine tries, two goals, two field goals), including the match-winning Golden Point field goal against Manly. On the other side, Walsh is warming up to the form that took Brisbane on their miraculous premiership run last season. He had three try assists and kicked the winning conversion against Penrith, and while there’s been rumours about moving Walsh to five-eighth, his 86 receipts against the Panthers shows he can involve himself when he wants to, regardless of where he plays. While it seems too late for Brisbane to replicate last year’s run, if Walsh gets his tail up, anything is possible. With 18 try assists this season (third in the NRL), Drinkwater is the key to the Cowboys scoring enough points to shut the Broncos out of the game.

Prediction

RLZ Tip: Cowboys by 4.
Full Round 21 tips → /nrl-round-21-predictions-2026/
Bold call: There will be a minimum of eight tries scored between the Cowboys and Broncos.

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Andrew Pelechaty
Web Content Editor for Rugby League Zone.

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