Mt Smart Stadium will play host to Saturday's Round 7 NRL game between New Zealand Warriors and North Queensland Cowboys. The game kicks off at 3:00 pm with New Zealand Warriors heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the New Zealand Warriors vs. North Queensland Cowboys game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Saturday April 15, 2023 at 3:00 pm

Where: Mt Smart Stadium

Bet: Bet On This Match HERE

New Zealand Warriors vs North Queensland Cowboys Odds

New Zealand Warriors vs North Queensland Cowboys Preview

Saturday’s trio of matches kicks off with a crunch game in Auckland between an injury-ravaged Warriors side striving to bounce back from their least impressive showing of a 2023 renaissance and a North Queensland Cowboys outfit already at risk of their season slipping away.

The 4-2 Warriors’ surge and the 2-4 Cowboys’ decline gathered steam when the teams met in Townsville in Round 3, while the Warriors rallied from an early 12-0 deficit to power to a 26-12 victory, their defensive improvement and ability to lift in the latter stages of matches coming to the fore.

But following an emotional comeback win over the Sharks, the Warriors’ poor starts finally came back to bite them in a 34-24 loss to the Knights in Round 6.

Frustrating errors and penalties saw them trail 22-6 at halftime and another second-half revival ultimately fell short.

On the bright side, Shaun Johnson was again brilliant, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad shone at the back and Tom Ale had a breakout game up front, but key men Te Maire Martin and Wayde Egan are out, with Dylan Walker moving to five-eighth and Freddy Lussick coming in at hooker.

Tohu Harris (knee) is again named after withdrawing late in the week for the past two rounds.

The Cowboys bounced back with an encouraging win over the Titans in Round 4 but have since lost to the Bulldogs in golden point in Sydney and gone down 32-22 to the Dolphins at home.

Last week they clawed back from 26-6 down but ultimately couldn’t capitalise on a glut of second-half ball.

The defensive steel Todd Payten instilled last year is deserting them – missing 45 tackles last week – while their usually potent attack has been painfully disjointed.

Scott Drinkwater’s second game back and the return of Murray Taulagi and Jeremiah Nanai should help improve the latter area.

The Warriors have now won six of the teams’ last nine encounters, the Cowboys prevailed in their last visit to Auckland back in 2019 but are just 7-14 at Mt Smart Stadium since 1995, with only three wins in their last 11 trips across the Tasman.

The Warriors have overcome a rotten run of injury luck all season with a steadfast next-man-up mentality, while Johnson’s form gives the home side a decisive edge in a pick ’em clash against a Cowboys side that has barely put anything more than a complete 40 minutes on the park in 2023.

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