Local rivals the Brisbane Broncos and the North Queensland Cowboys meet on Friday night in the Queensland capital.
Where: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
When: 9.35am GMT Friday 20th March (7.35pm local)
Watch live: Premier Sports
The Cowboys are still searching for their first victory of the season after losses to the Roosters and Knights. Brisbane is one from two after defeating Cronulla last weekend.
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This could be viewed as a must-win game for North Queensland after a lacklustre start. Lachlan Coote will start at fullback in his first NRL game in over 18 months.
Michael Morgan moves into the halves and Robert Lui drops out of the squad.
The Broncos were poor against Souths in round one but bounced back against the Sharks in round two. Wayne Bennett will expect more of the same from his men, the same kind of defensive strength and effort they demonstrated at Cronulla.
Brisbane are a team still finding its feet but much more is expected from the Cowboys. They need their big guns, including playmaker Jonathan Thurston and props Matt Scott and James Tamou, to stand up.
It’s now or never for North Queensland. A huge crowd should be on hand at Suncorp for this one.
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