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North QLD Cowboys vs St George Illawarra Dragons NRL Round 21 Tips - Points on offer in Townsville

Jeremy Darke

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Last updated: Tue 22 Jul 2025 17:20

Jeremy Darke 22 Jul 2025

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North QLD Cowboys vs St George Illawarra Dragons expert predictions for Friday’s Round 21 NRL game
Kick off is at 6:00 PM (AEST) at Queensland Country Bank Stadium
Expected high-scoring match due to both teams' defensive weaknesses.
Key player Scott Drinkwater has a notable scoring record against the Dragons.

North QLD Cowboys vs St George Illawarra Dragons NRL Round 21 Tips

North QLD Cowboys vs St George Illawarra Dragons, Round 21 2025 - Expert Prediction

North Queensland will continue their dominance over the Dragons in an entertaining match in Townsville on Friday night.

Cowboys vs Dragons Rd21 Cheat Sheet

The Cowboys have had it over the Dragons since the 2021 season, winning the last 5 contests and by considerable margins of 12 points or more. St George have been unable to contain the attack of North Queensland who have scored 30+ points in all of their last 5 victories.

North Queensland are going to need to channel that attacking prowess because their defensive line has more holes in it than my grandma’s fishnets . The Cowboys have leaked an average of 34 points in their last 7 matches which the stagnant Dragons attack will be out to exploit.

A high-scoring match is expected due to the history between these two and the lack of quality defence in both of these sides recently. If the score flows for the Cowboys, you can bet your bottom dollar that Scott Drinkwater will be in the mix.

Drinky has scored in 3 of his last 4 matches and has a 4 from 4 record against the Saints.

North Queensland have covered the 4.5 point line in their last 5 victories over the Dragons.
12 of 17 St George matches have ended with a 1-12 margin
3 of the last 5 matches between the Cowboys and Dragons has had a game total of 60+ points.
Scott Drinkwater has scored 4 tries in his last 4 matches against the Dragons.

Head to Head

North Queensland have won their last 5 matches against the Saints and 7 of their last 9 since the 2019 season. The latest result was a 46-24 victory at Jubilee Stadium in the only meeting last season between the pair.

6 of the last 7 matches between the Cowboys and Dragons has gone over the game total.

North QLD Cowboys Form Analysis

The Cowboys crashed to their sixth defeat in their last 7 matches and are unofficially out of the finals race. Another poor defensive performance saw them go down in the QLD derby match 43-24, leaking linebreaks and tries from all over the field.

It has been the sad story for the Cowboys this season and especially lately, giving up an average of 34.71 points per game in their last 7 matches.

All of the chopping and changing in the halves during Origin and now trying to find a half decent partner for Tom Dearden at halfback is putting a stop to what is usually a clinical attack.

North QLD Cowboys Team News

Murray Taulagi will sit on the sidelines for a while with a hamstring injury with Robert Derby coming in on the wing. Jaxon Purdue moves back out to the centres as Thomas Duffy comes in to partner Tom Dearden in the halves.

Harrison Edwards will start at prop with Thomas Mikaele the latest Cowboys forward in the injury ward. Rueben Cotter moves back to lock with John Bateman coming into the second row.

North QLD Cowboys Team List

1. Scott Drinkwater

2. Robert Derby

3. Jaxon Purdue

4. Zac Laybutt

5. Braidon Burns

6. Thomas Duffy

7. Tom Dearden

8. Harrison Edwards

9. Reece Robson

10. Griffin Neame

11. John Bateman

12. Jeremiah Nanai

13. Reuben Cotter

Interchange

14. Karl Lawton

15. Kaiden Lahrs

16. Kai O'Donnell

17. Coen Hess

Reserves

18. Jaxson Paulo

19. Nicholas Lenaz

20. Temple Kalepo

21. Marly Bitungane

22. Dane Aukafolau

St George Illawarra Dragons Form Analysis

The Dragons were 2 minutes away from one of the upsets of the season, but couldn’t hold on against the Bulldogs, going down 20-18 on Canterbury’s final attacking chance. St George’s defence was solid, withstanding 34 tackles of the Bulldogs inside their 20m, while their ball control was also a positive from their narrow loss, completing 35 of 37 sets in the match.

Completing sets is one thing, but sometimes risks need to be taken if you want to look dangerous and the Saints are not a bother to anyone at the moment, losing 5 of their last 6 matches.

With a damaging injury list that has Val Holmes out for the season and no real creativity in the halves it is going to be a tough end to the season for the Dragons.

St George Illawarra Dragons Team News

Sione Finau suffered a shoulder dislocation and will be out. Corey Allen comes in on the wing with Matt Feagai moving into the centres.

St George Illawarra Dragons Team List

1. Clint Gutherson

2. Tyrell Sloan

3. Moses Suli

4. Mathew Feagai

5. Corey Allan

6. Lyhkan King-Togia

7. Kyle Flanagan

8. Emre Guler

9. Damien Cook

10. David Klemmer

11. Luciano Leilua

12. Jaydn Su'A

13. Jack de Belin

Interchange

14. Jacob Liddle

15. Blake Lawrie

16. Hamish Stewart

17. Michael Molo

Reserves

18. Nick Tsougranis

19. Ben Murdoch-Masila

20. Lachlan Ilias

21. Loko Pasifiki Tonga

22. Jacob Halangahu

North QLD Cowboys vs St George Illawarra Dragons NRL 2025 Round 21 FAQ’s

How to watch North QLD Cowboys vs St George Illawarra Dragons NRL 2025 Round 21?

You can watch the North QLD Cowboys vs St George Illawarra Dragons NRL 2025 Round 21 game via Fox Sports or Kayo Sports. If you are watching from outside of Australia the WatchNRL app is the perfect solution.

How to buy tickets to North QLD Cowboys vs St George Illawarra Dragons NRL 2025 Round 21?

To buy tickets to the North QLD Cowboys vs St George Illawarra Dragons NRL 2025 Round 21 game check the NRL website or the official North QLD Cowboys site.

Verdict

North QLD Cowboys v St George Illawarra Dragons

Scott Drinkwater will cross for the Cowboys who will cover the line in a match that goes over the 48.5 game total.

North Queensland -4.5

Handicap/Line

$1.91 - 3 Units

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