KEY POINTS:
There are a number of tasty match-ups in this evening's do-or-die encounter but none more so at fullback.
Wade Mckinnon
The Warriors fullback isn't the most politically correct player. He swears live on television, argues with and even pushes referees, is known to raise the ire of
his team-mates and can sometimes come across as a little surly.
But one thing is certain - the boy can play. Many wondered how the Warriors would manage without Brent Webb but McKinnon has shown they have coped just fine.
He announced his arrival with a try on debut against his old club and followed that with some eye-catching performances. But he left people searching for superlatives with his mazy 65m run for a try in the 54-14 demolition of the Panthers in June. McKinnon rates this season as his best, alongside 2004 when he ran for a staggering 345m in one game against the Wests Tigers.
"It's the team, the way they have played and the way Ivan [Cleary] has coached," McKinnon explained. "It's not so structured [at the Warriors] and it's the sort of game I like to play."
One of the 26-year-old's greatest attributes is his ability to pop up on the shoulder ready for an offload and he's often seen shadowing Steve Price as the Warriors captain lugs up the ball.
His positioning on defence, particularly when receiving a kick, is usually spot on and it's little surprise he ranks second in kick return metres.
Few take a disappointment or rough decision as badly as the Warriors No 1. Although it may annoy some people, it could be argued he wouldn't be as good if he wasn't as competitive.
"I don't think I would be as good," McKinnon said. "If I wasn't competitive, I probably wouldn't care and things wouldn't matter as much to me. No one has told me to tone it down, ever."
It's probably because the Warriors' fortunes have often mirrored McKinnon's. His two-game suspension for his shove on referee Jason Robinson during the 18-16 win over the Rabbitohs ushered in a six-game losing streak and the Warriors also suffered a shock loss to the Raiders late in the season when McKinnon was out with an ankle injury.
Matt Bowen
The NRL has an infatuation with size. According to the experts, players must be a certain size to play each position.
Matt Bowen has heard this all his career and it's often been seen as the major reason he hasn't represented Queensland and Australia more often.
Few excite, however, like the diminutive fullback. He has more steps than Fred Astaire, more pace than Phar Lap, is more elusive than a fugitive and has better timing than a Swiss watch.
Broncos prop Petero Civoniceva was right when he said "there isn't much Matty Bowen can't do at the moment".
Perhaps only now is he receiving the accolades and attention he deserves. He was named Dally M Fullback of the Year (he beat McKinnon by one point), finished fourth behind Johnathan Thurston for Player of the Year and was rated by the majority of captains ahead of the finals series as the competition's most lethal gamebreaker. NRL statistics confirm this and rate him as the game's best fullback and one of the best players overall but some of his best contributions are on defence.
The number of times he makes try-saving tackles or halts an opposition break is quite phenomenal (almost two a game) and this was perfectly illustrated by his diving tackle on Hazem El Masri last Saturday night that saved his side in the dying minutes of their 20-18 win over the Bulldogs.
He's now being compared to the legendary Clive Churchill and Les Johns, two of the smallest fullbacks to play for Australia, who were fearless tacklers as well as exciting attackers.
It remains to be seen whether he's done enough to convince the Australia selectors of his worth with Karmichael Hunt out of the picture because of a hamstring injury. But the drums are certainly beating for his inclusion in the October 14 test against the Kiwis.
North Queensland have often been labelled a two-man team and it's hard to argue. Bowen and Thurston have carried a Cowboys side that has continually defied the odds this season and head into today's match on the back of a five-game winning streak.
