Five things you need to know: Round 2
The North Queensland Toyota Cowboys travel to Sydney to battle the Bulldogs in Round 2.
1. WELCOME BACK MOOSE
Maroons enforcer Josh McGuire will make his season debut after missing Round 1 through suspension. McGuire will start in the front row against the Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium on Thursday night alongside vice-captain Jordan McLean in the only change to Paul Green’s starting line-up.
2. UNCHARTERED TERRITORY
The Cowboys and Bulldogs will be the first teams to play behind closed doors in the NRL’s new stadium lockdown rules due to COVID-19. Paul Green’s men will arrive in Sydney only hours before the Round 2 clash and return to North Queensland immediately after the game.
3. GOLDEN RUN
The Bulldogs lead the head to head match-up with the Cowboys 23-16, but it’s been North Queensland who have dominated the recent history between the two sides. The Cowboys have won seven of the previous 10 showdowns, stretching back to the start of the 2013 season.
4. RUNNING MAN
Esan Marsters wasted no time showing Cowboys fans what he has to offer North Queensland. The Cowboys right centre ran for a monstrous 222 metres in Round 1, which trailed only Kalyn Ponga and Philip Sami for the most in the competition.
5. OFF THE MARK
The Bulldogs are one of just three teams in the NRL Jake Granville is yet to score a try against. In nine career appearances against the Bulldogs, Granville is yet to cross the stripe, joining South Sydney and the Wests Tigers as the teams the Cowboys hooker remains tryless against.
