Cowboys hope for first win against Raiders, Laybutt returns, Smithies out, improvement seen, struggle to score.
Although they showed signs of improvement last week, the Cowboys are still looking for their first win of the season and will be aiming to bring down Ricky's Raiders when they come to town on Saturday.
North Queensland fought hard against the Broncos and were arguably the better team for much of the first half but were not able to convert their early dominance into any points.
The lack of finish and finesse in their fifth-tackle options has been one of the major issues for the Cowboys so far this season, with a lack of experience playing a major toll. However Todd Payten welcomed back Jason Taumalolo to the line-up last week, with the veteran forward one of the team's best in the 26-16 loss.