Let's delve into this exciting matchup between the North Queensland Cowboys and the Canberra Raiders, shall we? Starting with the season records, we see that the Raiders are on the right side of .500 with a 2-1 record, while the Cowboys are yet to open their account this season.

Moving onto the historical confrontations, the Cowboys have proven to have held a bit of a hoodoo over the Raiders with five straight wins. Although, I doubt too many of the Cowboys fans will be smug, given their current form.

Isn’t it bizarre? The camaraderie in the rugby community gives fans the strength to heckle their own teams. God love ‘em. Now let's consider their recent results. They've been more dreadful than my mother-in-law’s Christmas pudding - three losses in three matches.

On the other hand, the Raiders, while not exactly setting the NRL alight, have been more hit than miss. Recent results show them taming the Broncos and Warriors, and a bit of a disappointing loss to the Sea Eagles.

One look at the standings confirms it’s the Cowboys who seem to have forgotten the basics and fundamentals of the points table. It’s like they are asking for a nightmare without the comfort of waking up. They're languishing at 16th while the Raiders sit more comfortably in 11th despite their horror show against the Sea Eagles.

Albert’s Prediction: Canberra Raiders by 6