NRL,MAGIC ROUND, MAY 7th, 2023, SYDNEY ROOSTERS v NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
SUNCORP STADIUM,BRISBANE
After grafting out back-to-back wins, Sydney Roosters will be looking to build some momentum heading into the middle part of the season when they take on battling, second-last North Queensland.
Fortunate to escape with a 27-26 win over the Dragons on Anzac Day, the Roosters navigated a short turnaround, the loss of Daniel Tupou and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, and a trip across the Tasman to shut the Warriors out 14-0 in their own backyard and improve to 5-3.
Brandon Smith (neck) is in doubt but has been named. Paul Momirvoski is out, with Drew Hutchison the new centre and Jake Turpin joining the bench, Waerea-Hargreaves returns from a rest, bumping Fletcher Baker out of the 17.
The 3-6 Cowboys hit a harrowing season low at Cronulla last Thursday, trounced 44-6 by the Sharks as the team looked unrecognisable compared to its 2022 top-four incarnation.
Injuries are playing a part but they look a team devoid of confidence and are scoring the second-least points in the NRL.
Heilum Luki’s return from injury is timely with Jeremiah Nanai suspended for four games. Chad Townsend (calf) is racing the clock, with Ben Hampton a possible replacement at halfback.
Kulikefu Finefeuiaki comes onto the bench for Tom Chester (ACL).
The Roosters have won their last five against the Cowboys by 14+, including a pair of comfortable 2022 wins – 28-4 in Townsville and 32-18 at the SCG – despite finishing lower on the ladder.
Roosters team:
1. James Tedesco 2. Corey Allan 3. Joseph Suaalii 4. Drew Hutchison 5. Jaxson Paulo 6. Joseph Manu 7. Luke Keary 8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves 9. Brandon Smith 10. Lindsay Collins 11. Egan Butcher 12. Nat Butcher 13. Victor Radley 14. Jake Turpin 15. Angus Crichton 16. Sitili Tupouniua 17. Matthew Lodge 18. Fletcher Baker 19. Sam Walker 20. Tuipulotu Katoa 21. Billy Smith 22. Nathan Brown
Cowboys team:
1. Scott Drinkwater 2. Kyle Feldt 3. Valentine Holmes 4. Peta Hiku 5. Murray Taulagi 6. Tom Dearden 7. Chad Townsend 8. Jordan McLean 9. Reece Robson 10. Coen Hess 11. Heilum Luki 12. Jack Gosiewski 13. Reuben Cotter 14. Jake Granville 15. Mitchell Dunn 16. Jamayne Taunoa-Brown 17. Kulikefu Finefeuiaki 18. Riley Price 19. Ben Hampton 20. Brendan Elliot 21. Taniela Sadrugu 22. Jake Bourke
Referee. Ashley Klein
PREDICTION.
It’s been a season to forget for Todd Payten and his North Queensland Cowboys, who – after suffering a 44-6 hammering at the hands of the Sharks last week – are languishing in 16th on the ladder. Playing in front of a Queensland crowd in one of the biggest rounds of the season (being Magic Round), they will need to bounce back. they simply do not have enough time now not to.
The Cowboys have lost five on the trot to the Roosters and were comprehensively beaten by 14 or more points in all five of those last meetings. Their task doesn’t get any easier this week without the suspended Jeremiah Nanai and injuries to Chad Townsend and Tom Chester. Heilum Luki comes into the starting side coming back form a hamstring injury, and will need to stand up against a ferocious Roosters pack.
If the Cowboys are to compete without number 7 Townsend, much more responsibility will fall on the rest of the spine. Scott Drinkwater, Tom Dearden, and Reece Robson have shown flashes of their 2022 career best seasons, but none have done so consistently in 2023. Dearden and Drinkwater in particular have the ability to spark the Cowboys, attack, with point scoring looking essential in this game.
The Roosters kept their opposition to zero last week with a staunch defensive wall coach Trent Robinson mentioned several times post game. That’s a worry for a team in the Cowboys, who have scored equally the second least points in the competition so far despite not yet having a bye. Two weeks ago Drinkwater put on a fullback masterclass to get the win over the Knights, accumulating two line breaks, two try assists, and a line break assist. Meanwhile, Dearden ran the ball well last game with two line breaks and looked threatening again. The big question will certainly be if both can put together these type of performances in the same game to trouble the Roosters.
As if the attack isn’t hard enough for the fans up north to worry about, the forward pack for the Cowboys is both thin on troops and also floundering badly. Four of the starting six forwards in this contest were either consistently bench forwards or not playing first grade last year. The only shining light in the pack outside of their hooker is the much improved Reuben Cotter who shone brightly last season. Even Cotter’s form, however, has been well below last season to the point questions arise on whether he will start in a maroon jumper still come Origin time.
The Roosters forwards will be licking their lips at the prospect of going through the middle of the Cowboys come Sunday. Whilst the star-studded Hollywood backline stars get the headlines, the Roosters pack remains one of the toughest in the competition. The three headed monster prop rotation of Lindsay Collins, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Matt Lodge is finally healthy whilst Angus Crichton and Sitili Tupouniua looked much improved for the run last week. On paper it is hard to not see the Roosters pack dominate the Cowboys in a virtual David vs Goliath scenario.
In extremely trying conditions, the Roosters were able to shut out the Warriors and inflict their first home loss of the season and that marked two wins straight. Despite James Tedesco, Luke Keary, and Joseph Manu all starting to clickm the Roosters will have Paul Momirovski out, which moves Drew Hutchison to the centres and sees Jake Turpin come onto the bench.
Despite the team sheet an interesting wrinkle is Sam Walker remains in the extended squad. The prodigious number 7 has been in the headlines for multiple weeks now after being dropped to NSW Cup. Despite the press and pressures on the 20 year old, he released a positive tell-all interview this week and a belief is growing that his NRL return will only be around the corner. There is a chance coach Robinson moves Walker in this week, shifting Manu to centre for Hutchison to drop out of the starting side. Keep a close eye on team sheets leading into Sunday as a change looks possible, even if it seems unlikely.
I think the Roosters can send a strong message here to all teams that they are genuine finals bound team and I will go 13 plus points at very health money.
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