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North Queensland Cowboys vs Brisbane Broncos NRL Betting Tips - Broncos to win crucial derby in Round 21

andrew-hendrie
Andrew Hendrie
Editor
Last updated: Thu 23 Jul 2026 21:03
The upcoming North Queensland Cowboys vs Brisbane Broncos match is crucial for the Broncos, who must win to maintain their finals aspirations. Despite a rocky season and injury challenges, the Broncos now have key players back and are riding the momentum of a recent win over the Panthers. The Cowboys, meanwhile, have struggled with consistency and defense. With players like Burns and Staggs in try-scoring form, this Queensland derby promises high stakes and excitement, with the Broncos tipped to keep their season alive.
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Andrew Hendrie 23 Jul 2026
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  • Broncos must win to remain in finals contention; key players return.
  • Cowboys struggle with consistency and recent losses.
  • Staggs, Walsh (Broncos) & Burns (Cowboys) are top tryscorer picks.
reece walsh
Reece Walsh to star for the Broncos (Getty Images)


North Queensland Cowboys vs Brisbane Broncos Verdict


The Broncos need to win all of their remaining games to make the finals and they can keep the dream alive with a victory in the Queensland derby. Reece Walsh, Kotoni Staggs and Braidon Burns are the focus for player props.
  • Broncos have won six of their last seven games vs Cowboys
  • Cowboys have lost four of their last six games
  • Broncos have won their last three games in Townsville
  • Reece Walsh has scored 1+ try in six of his last seven games vs Queensland teams
  • Kotoni Staggs has scored 1+ try in his last four games vs Cowboys
  • Staggs has scored the first, second or third try in five of his seven try-scoring games in 2026
  • Staggs scored the first try vs Cowboys in Round 6 earlier this season
  • Braidon Burns has scored six tries in his last five games - Broncos leaked 2 tries vs To'o last week

Head To Head

Broncos have dominated lately, but the Cowboys snapped a six-match losing streak with a high-scoring 35-31 win earlier this year, with Heilum Luki scoring the match-winning try in the 78th minute.

North Queensland Cowboys Form

The Cowboys remain arguably the hardest team to get a read on and are seemingly capable of beating and losing to any team on any day.

North Queensland are clinging onto a finals spot in eighth, but until they improve their consistency and defence, they can't really be considered as premiership threats - although they have the ability to beat the best, as demonstrated through another win over the Panthers recently.

However, overall, the Cowboys have lost four of their last six games, with one of those wins coming against a slumping Manly side in golden point.

Looking to establish themselves in the eight, the Cows were blown away 36-16 by a Dolphins side who had conceded 66 points in their previous game and were missing their halfback.

Brisbane Broncos Form

The Broncos' struggles in 2026 have been well-documented, but they have dealt with a number of injuries to high-profile players.

With Walsh, Payne Haas, Adam Reynolds, Pat Carrigan and Ezra Mam all back on deck, along with the return of hooker Billy Walters for this game, the Broncos will look to recapture the memories of their magical premiership run from last year.

It's still highly unlikely they will miss the finals, but if the Broncos take it one week at a time and keep winning, belief will start to grow.

It was a Walsh masterclass last week against the Panthers at CommBank, with the electric fullback registering three try assists as the Broncos came away with a 14-12 win, snap an eight-match losing streak and keep their season alive.

Cowboys vs Broncos Team News

Jake Clifford returns to partner Tom Dearden in the halves for the Cowboys, while Tom Mikaele is back from concussion, meaning Sam McIntyre drops out of the side.

Billy Walters has been named on the bench for his first game since tearing his ACL in the finals last year.

Brendan Piakura is out with concussion, with Xavier Willison moving to the second row and Preston Riki starting at prop.

Verdict

The Broncos are backed to keep their season alive for another week, with Staggs & Walsh making an impact. Burns can cross for the Cows again.

Best Bet1: Broncos Win H2H @7/10 at Hollywood bets - 3 Units
Best Bet2: Braidon Burns Anytime Tryscorer @21/20 at bet365 - 1 Unit
Best Bet3: Reece Walsh Anytime Tryscorer @21/20 at Star Sports - 1 Unit
Best Bet4: Kotoni Staggs 1st, 2nd or 3rd Tryscorer @18/5 at Hollywood bets - 1 Unit
Broncos Win
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Braidon Burns
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Reece Walsh
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Kotoni Staggs
1st, 2nd or 3rd Tryscorer
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andrew-hendrie
Andrew Hendrie

Sports Editor • 20+ years betting experience

Andrew has been writing about sports for over a decade now after graduating with a double degree in 2013. In that time he has covered a wide range of sports, including NRL, AFL, Football (soccer), Tennis, NBA, NFL and more.


As a fan of Manchester City (since the 90s, he’s not a bandwagoner so they say), Canterbury Bulldogs and the Newcastle Jets, he’s experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows throughout the last few years.

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