<p>He’s baaaack! After sitting on the sidelines last week and watching his side fall to the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Nathan Cleary is back in action here for the Penrith Panthers.</p> <p>It’s a timely return too as Penrith will be looking to end their three-match losing streak, when they welcome the Cowboys to CommBank Stadium on Friday night.</p> <p>This current skid is the Panthers’ biggest since 2019, leaving them in unfamiliar territory as they sit 13th on the ladder.</p> <p>While the addition of Cleary is great news for the back-to-back-to-back-to-back premiers, there’s still no Dylan Edwards and now Brian To’o will join his NSW teammate on the sidelines.</p> <p>Can they overcome a Cowboys side who picked up their first win of the season last week? Or will it be an unprecedented fourth loss in a row for Ivan Cleary and his crew of once untouchable champions?</p> <p>Let’s take a look at how these two sides will line up on Friday night, along with some betting tips for the H2H, first try scorer and over/under markets. Check out our Panthers vs Cowboys prediction and preview below.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Panthers vs Cowboys Teams</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Penrith Panthers</h3> <p>1. Daine Laurie<br /> 2. Paul Alamoti<br /> 3. Izack Tago<br /> 4. Thomas Jenkins<br /> 5. Casey McLean<br /> 6. Jack Cole<br /> 7. Nathan Cleary<br /> 8. Moses Leota<br /> 9. Mitch Kenny<br /> 10. Lindsay Smith<br /> 11. Isaiah Papali’i<br /> 12. Liam Martin<br /> 13. Isaah Yeo<br /> 14. Brad Schneider<br /> 15. Matthew Eisenhuth<br /> 16. Liam Henry<br /> 17. Luke Garner</p> <p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p> <h3>North Queensland Cowboys</h3> <p>1. Scott Drinkwater<br /> 2. Robert Derby<br /> 3. Jaxon Purdue<br /> 4. Viliami Vailea<br /> 5. Murray Taulagi<br /> 6. Tom Dearden<br /> 7. Jake Clifford<br /> 8. Jordan McLean<br /> 9. Reece Robson<br /> 10. Jason Taumalolo<br /> 11. John Bateman<br /> 12. Kai O'Donnell<br /> 13. Reuben Cotter<br /> 14. Sam McIntyre<br /> 15. Jeremiah Nanai<br /> 16. Griffin Neame<br /> 17. Coen Hess</p>

<h2>Panthers vs Cowboys Prediction and Betting Tips</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Head-to-Head Prediction</h3> <p>Last week, without Cleary the Panthers were completely rudderless against the Rabbitohs, with the first 40 minutes at Stadium Australia particularly calamitous.</p> <p>Now that the star halfback has been given the all clear, the landscape of this contest shifts dramatically.</p> <p>Penrith has won each of its last eight matches on an eight-day turnaround and while North Queensland did win last week, it was their first of the season and the first time they’ve shown any quality at all in 2025.</p> <p><strong>Betting tip: </strong><a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/rugby-league/nrl/penrith-panthers-v-nth-queensland-cowboys-9069474">Penrith Panthers.</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>First Try Scorer Prediction</h3> <p>Residing on the wing at the moment instead of his usual position of centre, Paul Alamoti presents an intriguing option for the first try scorer market.</p> <p>There’s no place like home and Alamoti has scored at least one try in each of Penrith's last three home matches. We’ll be looking to him to be the first to cross the tryline here.</p> <p><strong>Betting tip: </strong><a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/rugby-league/nrl/penrith-panthers-v-nth-queensland-cowboys-9069474">Paul Alamoti.</a></p> <p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p> <h3>Over Under Prediction</h3> <p>The over/under line is set at 50.5 points here and both these teams have been conceding points at a rate of knots recently.</p> <p>There were 50 points in the Cowboys last game and 46 in the Panthers, some quick maths leads us to believe these two can combine to eclipse the 50.5 mark here.</p> <p><strong>Betting tip: </strong><a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/rugby-league/nrl/penrith-panthers-v-nth-queensland-cowboys-9069474">Over total match points.</a></p>

<h2>Panthers vs Cowboys Match Details</h2> <p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p> <p><strong>Date: </strong>Friday, April 4, 2025.</p> <p><strong>Kick-off: </strong>6:00pm AEDT.</p> <p><strong>Location: </strong>CommBank Stadium.&nbsp;</p>