Both clubs had a bye last weekend so fresh legs for both the Cowboys and Manly Sea Eagles shouldn't be a problem, depending on what shape their Origin stars return in.
Manly's captain is also the Queensland skipper - Daly Cherry-Evans - and he had to face both Trboejvic brothers, Jake and Tom, on Wednesday night. The Cowboys also had two on Origin duty with Valentine Holmes and Kyle Feldt suiting up for Queensland.
Travel could play a part in all this since this game has the shortest turnaround of any this weekend coming just 48 hours after game one of the Ampol State of Origin series.
The Cowboys have momentum coming off a 29-28 comeback win against the Warriors, while the Sea Eagles have motivation losing 18-10 to the Knights, halting their three-match winning streak.
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The rundown
Team news
Sea Eagles: A number of late changes in the backline for Des Hasler with Reuben Garrick going from wing to fullback and Dylan Walker shifting to the bench. Moses Suli goes from the bench to the centres and Brad Parker pushes out to the wing.
Kurt De Luis is the new face on the bench making his NRL debut.
Tom Trbojevic is being rested but Manly's other Origin reps Daly Cherry-Evans and Jake Trbojevic will both back up.
Kieran Foran (hand) makes a welcome return from injury at five-eighth while Ben Trbojevic (head knock) will play after passing concussion protocols during the bye period.
Jorge Taufua and Tolotau Koula were omitted from the extended squad 24 hours before kick-off and Christian Tuipulotu was the last man cut on game day. Cade Cust is 18th man.
Sea Eagles winger Jason Saab has scored 11 tries in his past eight games.
Cowboys: Winger Kyle Feldt won't play after copping lower-back bruising in his State of Origin debut for Queensland. Justin O'Neill returns from a knee injury and slots in on the wing while Valentine Holmes is backing up from Origin at fullback.
Coen Hess will start in the second row having been in Queensland's wider squad but left out of the final 18.
"Feldty copped a knee in the back. It was quite a bit of a bleed," Payten said on Thursday.
"We could potentially give him another 24 hours and see how he pulled up and make a call then. But I just thought with the travel, where our team's at and how we've trained through the week, it's just a cleaner preparation."
Ben Condon and Kyle Laybutt dropped out of the extended squad 24 hours before kick-off. Corey Jensen was the last man cut an hour before kick-off and Daejarn Asi is 18th man.
The Cowboys have won their past three games at Manly's home ground.
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Key match-up
Kieran Foran v Scott Drinkwater: Both Cust (hamstring) and Foran (hand) are due back and either will be wearing the No.6 jumper to take on Cowboys five-eighth Drinkwater, who is tied with Nathan Cleary in topping the NRL list for line engagements.
Drinkwater has 10 try assists and 16 line breaks (along with five tries of his own) to show his value in operating up in the defence's faces. Cust and Foran have three try assists combined.
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Stat attack
Valentine Holmes has the unenviable position of leading the NRL for errors - with 25. Just behind him is Queensland Maroons teammate Xavier Coates (22) proving that just because you're an Origin star doesn't mean your football is always perfect.
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