The Cowboys have closed to within three wins of Penrith at the top of the table and will look to continue their momentum when they tackle the in-form Bulldogs in Bundaberg.
Having put the Dragons to the sword on Sunday, Todd Payten's men turn their focus to a danger game against a Bulldogs outfit riding high on the exhilarating form of Matt Burton and Josh Addo-Carr.
With wins in four of their past six matches the Bulldogs are serving notice they'll be a premiership force in 2023 but before that they can play spoiler for finals contenders the Cowboys, Eels and Sharks in coming weeks.
A carnival atmosphere is guaranteed at Bundaberg's Salter Oval and fans are in for a treat with both sides playing expansive and entertaining footy in recent weeks.
The Rundown
Team news
Bulldogs: Raymond Faitala-Mariner is set for a late call-up after missing Round 20 with a rib injury. Coach Mick Potter initially named the same 17 from last weekend's defeat of the Titans but Faitala-Mariner was promoted to the bench when the squad was trimmed to 19 players 24 hours before kick off, with Harrison Edwards shifting to the reserves.
Cowboys: Winger Kyle Feldt will miss two games with a hamstring injury and his place is taken by Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow. Veteran Jake Granville is the new man on the bench. There were no changes when the squad was trimmed to 19 players 24 hours before kick-off.
Key match-up
Matt Burton v Tom Dearden: Both men made their Origin debuts in 2022 and have returned to their club sides full of confidence. Burton's kicking game has been instrumental in Canterbury reviving 'The Entertainers' tag and his try assist tally stands at 12, while Dearden has come up with 11 try assists and 10 line break assists. Watch for Burton's towering torpedo kicks and deft cross field kicks for a flying Josh Addo-Carr and watch for Dearden's explosive speed off the mark as these two gifted No.6s look to put on a Sunday afternoon show in Bundaberg.
Stat Attack
Bulldogs forward Tevita Pangai jnr leads the NRL in offloads with 43 while team-mate Max King is also in the top 10 with 29 offloads. Winger Murray Taulagi is the Cowboys' leading offloader with 26 in his 18 games.
Story first published on NRL.com