BATTLE OF THE HALVES IN NRL PRELIMINARY FINALSCRONULLA VS NORTH QUEENSLANDThe peerless skills of Johnathan Thurston give North Queensland a distinct advantage over Cronulla in Friday nights preliminary final at Allianz Stadium.With 28 try-assists to his name to go with Michael Morgans 16, the Cowboys halves have set up almost double the amount of tries of their Cronulla counterparts. They have also put an extra 17 players into holes in 2016 and on average, kick an extra 115 metres per game.In comparison, James Maloney and Chad Townsend have been a safer pairing for a Sharks team that gets their work done in the forwards. They have made 22 less errors than the Cowboys playmakers, and are also slightly sounder defensively. Townsend has outshone Maloney in assists, setting up 17 linebreaks and 14 tries.KEY STATS:SHARKS:Maloney - 9 try assists, 10 linebreak assists, 7 linebreaks.Townsend - 14 try assists, 17 linebreak assists, 6 tries.COWBOYS:Morgan - 16 try assists, 17 linebreak assists, 11 linebreaks.Thurston - 28 try assists, 27 linebreak assists, 291 kicking metres per game.CRONULLA v NORTH QUEENSLAND KEY HALVES STATSGames: CRO 48 - NQ 44Try assists: CRO 23 - NQ 44Linebreak assists: CRO 27 - NQ 44Kicking metres: CRO 262 per game - NQ 377 per gameTries: CRO 11 - NQ 11Linebreaks: CRO 14 - NQ17Errors: CRO 46 - NQ 68Tackle completions: CRO 86% - NQ 84%MELBOURNE VS CANBERRAWidely regarded as the most clinical number seven in the game, Cooper Cronk gives Melbourne the edge in Saturdays preliminary final . On the cusp of this 300th NRL game, Cronk tops the league with 29 try assists this year, nearly double the combined total (17) of Canberra halves Blake Austin and Aidan Sezer. Cronks kicking game is also difficult to shut down. He averages 284 metres per game off the boot.Although theyve set up fewer tries, Canberras halves are more lethal with the ball in hand. Five-eighth Austin has broken the line 12 times in 18 games, giving the Raiders an edge over Melbourne in total linebreaks made. However, Austin and Sezer will need to reduce their error rate. Theyve made 52 mistakes in 2016 compared to Cronk and Blake Greens combined total of 40.KEY STATSSTORMCooper Cronk - 29 try assists, 23 linebreak assists, kicks 284m per game.Blake Green - 13 try assists, 15 line break assists, 92.56 per cent tackle efficiency.RAIDERSBlake Austin - 4 try assists, 12 line breaks, 8 tries.Aidan Sezer - 13 try assists, kicks 206m per game, 28 errors.MELBOURNE v CANBERRA KEY STATSGames: MEL 46 - CAN 41Try assists: MEL 42 - CAN 17Linebreak assists: MEL 38 - CAN 10Kicking metres: MEL 393 per game - CAN 315 per gameTries: MEL 13 - CAN 13Linebreaks: MEL 14 - CAN 17Errors: MEL 40 - CAN 52Tackle completions: MEL 92% - CAN 88%* Statistics courtesy of Fox Sports Stats Air Max 95 For Sale Online . -- Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Alrdridge were again the go-to duo for the Trail Blazers against the Kings. Nike Air Max 95 Ireland . 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It is not known if he required stitches, according to CSN New England.?A source confirmed the report and said that Brady will be OK in time.?Coach Bill Belichick had said in his pregame interview on 98.5 The Sports Hub that the team would play all three quarterbacks, and earlier in the day, ESPN.com reported that Brady was expected to start.But plans changed as kickoff approached, with just Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett taking the field for warmups.?I made the decision before the game to just play Jimmy and Jacoby, Patriots coach Bill Belichick said.?When asked about the report of Brady slicing his thumb, Belichick said:?I made the decision for him not to play tonight.Brady did not play in the teams preseason opener againstt the New Orleans Saints after being excused to attend the memorial service of a family member.ddddddddddddThe veteran quarterback will serve a four-game suspension to begin the regular season as the team turns to? Garoppolo as its starter. 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