Bulldogs to play final game at Cowboys inaugural home ground

The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and North Queensland Cowboys will this week play the final game at the Cowboys inaugural home ground, 1300 Smiles Stadium.

On Thursday night the doors will close on a stadium previously known as Willows Sports Complex, Malanda Stadium, Stockland Stadium and Dairy Farmers Stadium.

The Bulldogs will head to Townsville off the back of four straight victories and will play their 19th match on the 2015 Premiers home ground.

On March 11, 1995 the Cowboys ran out on the ground for the first time against the Bulldogs in front of a crowd of 23,156, with Canterbury claiming a 32-16 win.

Since the round one clash in 95, the Dogs have won 13 of the 18 games played at the venue, while the home side have only managed five victories.

The Dogs won their first eight encounters between the two sides, until the Cowboys claimed a 24-12 win in 2005 and since then, Canterbury have recorded five victories to North Queensland’s four.

The Bulldogs biggest win came in 2006, when they scored nine tries to three in a 54-14 thumping of the home side.

The win included doubles to Andrew Emelio and Sonny Bill Williams, as well as a perfect night with the boot for Hazem El Masri who slotted nine goals from as many attempts.

Meanwhile, the biggest defeat came in 2016 when an Antonio Winterstein hat-trick and a Justin O’Neill double led North Queensland to a 36-0 victory over the Belmore based side.

It will be a big night for the Cowboys and the people of Townsville, but with two games left, a side brewing with confidence following six wins from their past eight and the dream of playing finals still alive, Dean Pay and his men will be looking to spoil the party as they did some 24 years ago.