The Cowboys haven't been overly lucky with injuries in 2017 and their lack of fortunes continued last week against the ladder-leading Storm. As a result, Antonio Winterstein and Gavin Cooper will miss their crucial clash against the Panthers this week as they look to extend their winning streak to six this weekend.

The Panthers have named five-eighth in an extended squad and is likely to come into the side come Saturday night, however, rookie Tyrone May has done an exceptional job in first grade since making his debut. Alongside Nathan Cleary, the pair has taken control of games and while they didn't put in their best performance last week, they found a way to win against the lowly Tigers.

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A win for the Panthers will see them leapfrog the Cowboys on the ladder and further up the eight while the Cowboys' spot in the finals could be in jeopardy should they drop this one on Saturday night.

Consistency has plagued the Cowboys in 2017 and will be looking for Jake Granville and Michael Morgan to step up and take control of their own destiny.

The Cowboys, Raiders, Dragons and Sea Eagles sit in the way of the Panthers and a finals birth so there's no doubting they'll earn their spot should they make the 2017 playoffs and it all starts this week.

Will their forgettable start to 2017 come back to haunt them?
We reckon they'll be able to keep this run going for at least another week.

Panthers by 10.