A cold Sunday afternoon in Canberra sets the stage for a crucial Round 13 clash, as the Raiders look to snap a losing run against a red-hot Cowboys outfit. With Origin stars backing up, contrasting strengths in the middle, and both sides pushing for finals relevance, this shapes as a high-stakes encounter with plenty on the line.

Matchday Details

Sunday, 31 May 2026 – 4:05pm AEST – GIO Stadium, Canberra
📺 Nine Network / Nine Now / Kayo / Foxtel
Referee: Ashley Klein | Senior Review Official: Liam Kennedy

Canberra Raiders: 1. Kaeo Weekes, 2. Savelio Tamale, 3. Sebastian Kris, 4. Matthew Timoko, 5. Xavier Savage, 6. Ethan Strange, 7. Ethan Sanders, 8. Corey Horsburgh, 9. Tom Starling, 10. Joseph Tapine (c), 11. Hudson Young, 12. Zac Hosking, 13. Daine Laurie, 14. Owen Pattie, 15. Ata Mariota, 16. Morgan Smithies, 17. Jed Stuart, 18. Chevy Stewart, 19. Jordan Uta, 20. Coby Black, 21. Vena Patuki-Case, 22. Ethan Alaia

North Queensland Cowboys: 1. Scott Drinkwater, 2. Zac Laybutt, 3. Jaxon Purdue, 4. Tom Chester, 5. Murray Taulagi, 6. Liam Sutton, 7. Jake Clifford, 8. Thomas Mikaele, 9. Reed Mahoney, 10. Jason Taumalolo, 11. Heilum Luki, 12. Sam McIntyre, 13. Reuben Cotter (c), 14. Viliami Vailea, 15. Griffin Neame, 16. Matthew Lodge, 17. Coen Hess, 18. Robert Derby, 19. Ethan King, 20. Xavier Kerrisk, 21. Wiremu Greig, 22. Mason Barber

Match Preview

With Game 1 of Origin done and dusted, our attention turns back to the NRL, with what’s expected to be a super cold match in Canberra between the Raiders and the Cowboys.

The Raiders are sitting in 12th place heading into this game after suffering a disappointing 30-22 loss at home to the Dolphins last week, but will be boosted by seeing how well Hudson Young and Ethan Strange played in NSW’s win on Wednesday night. The Cowboys on the other hand are in sixth, overtaking the Rabbitohs after a season-defining 30-18 victory against them in North Queensland last Sunday afternoon. The NRL ladder is super congested from fourth all the way down to 14th, with only six points separating these rankings, meaning a season can make or break in just a month of football, so the stakes of these games are higher as the season progresses.

The Raiders have named their Origin stars Strange and Young in the starting line-up, which is a huge boost for the home side. Seb Kris was a game-time scratching, injuring his quad during Canberra’s warm-up against the Dolphins last week, but has been named to take his place at centre. The surprise selection looks to be Daine Laurie, named at lock forward as Jayden Brailey misses this week with concussion. Owen Pattie, Ata Mariota, Morgan Smithies, Jed Stuart, Chevy Stewart, and Jordan Uta make up the rest of the Raiders’ mostly youthful interchange.

The Cowboys’ Origin star Reuben Cotteris also set to back up from Wednesday’s game, meaning Matt Lodge will make way to the interchange bench. Lodge ran hard last week and was one of the best on field, filling in for Cotter. Robert Derby makes way for the Cowboys’ most prolific winger Murray Taulagi, who returns from a short concussion spell. Other than this it looks to be business as usual for Todd Payten’s team.

Winter is officially here and North Queensland couldn’t be further away from the nice warm tropical weather of Townsville. Canberra start to build their edge which has contributed to many late-season good runs. Weather aside, one thing that can’t be beaten is the heat of another side’s form, no matter how cold and unpleasant the environment might be. The Cowboys have also established themselves as a bogey side for the Canberra Raiders, not losing at GIO Stadium since 2018, whilst on a seven-game winning streak against the men in green. The Cowboys also don’t mind being on the road, winning their last four away matches, including an impressive 18-12 victory against the Roosters at Magic Round.

How can Canberra break the streak and get their season pushing towards finals football?

The Cowboys leak most of their tries out wide to wingers, meaning they’ve created a reliable middle defence. This becomes extremely difficult to break down for sides as they have to take more risks to score their points, which can quickly turn to a day full of errors.

Canberra, on the other hand, have shown vulnerability through the middle – which is highlighted by opposing halves scoring 12 times in 11 matches, which is easily the worst in the NRL. This either comes down to being on the back foot in the red zone, second guessing what the halves are going to do and they find the gap themselves, or longer range tries through middle breaks and a half backing up in support. These leaks have seen the Raiders concede points at a quick rate either early or late in matches, making it impossible to accumulate wins consistently.

The Raiders have the players who can unsettle any team, so if they can win the battle through the middle, creating space for the likes of Strange, Kaeo Weekes, and Young, then they can definitely do the job on Sunday afternoon.

The Cowboys’ biggest weapon based on the Raiders’ weak tendencies will be Jaxon Purdue. The Raiders’ right edge defence has been a question mark all season, so Purdue will have a potentially enormous day. Kris will be his primary defender as well and will have to be on top of his game to nullify the threat.

We finish the preview noting that Sunday’s game will mark Young’s 150th match in the NRL. Will the Cowboys spoil the party? I think it’s very likely but you can NEVER write off Ricky’s Raiders.

Prediction

RLZ Tip: Cowboys by 8
Full Round 13 tips → /nrl-round-13-predictions-2026/
Bold call: Jaxon Purdue double.

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Chris Petrie

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