Hudson Young and Ethan Strange Start as Cowboys Game Opens

Hudson Young and Ethan Strange started in the cowboys game, giving Ricky Stuart’s Raiders their Origin duo from the opening whistle. The change put two named pieces of Canberra’s side in place before North Queensland adjusted without Reuben Cotter.

Young and Strange in Canberra

Young and Strange both earned starts for the Raiders against the Cowboys. That was the central team-news shift heading into the match, and it put Stuart’s selections in focus as Canberra brought in the pair as its Origin players for the contest.

The Raiders needed that structure from the start. With both players in the starting side, Stuart had his Origin duo available in the roles he wanted for the meeting with North Queensland.

Cowboys without Cotter

North Queensland were without Cotter, who was rested for the match. Todd Payten then moved Matt Lodge into the lock position, altering the Cowboys’ forward setup before the game settled into its regular shape.

That left the Cowboys with a different look through the middle, while Canberra kept its key starting change simple: Young and Strange were in, and Stuart could lean on the same pair he had earmarked for the game.

Stuart’s Selection Call

The contrast was straightforward. Canberra added two Origin players to the starting side, while North Queensland had to cover for a rested regular and shift Lodge into lock.

For anyone tracking the Raiders’ team news, that was the practical update from the matchup: Young and Strange were starting, Cotter was out of the Cowboys side, and Payten had already reshaped his pack to account for it.