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The ability of the Roosters to keep pulling themselves up off the canvas and continue throwing punches will be sorely tested after the Tricolours added to their already extensive injury list in the loss to Parramatta.

Playmaker Drew Hutchison suffered fractured ribs and a punctured lung to add to the Roosters' bulging casualty ward and they will take their battered and bruised squad to Brisbane to take on the hot-and-cold Cowboys.

The Roosters, who have been battling to find 21 fit players in recent weeks, slipped one spot to sixth on the ladder and are in danger of losing contact with the top four.

The Cowboys, meanwhile, enter the clash having won four of their past five and buoyed by a one-point comeback win in their Queensland derby triumph over the Broncos. 

The rundown

Team news

Roosters: The Roosters are 1-17 with Egan Butcher the last man cut an hour before kick-off and Joseph Suaalii the 18th man.

Lachlan Lam returns at five-eighth for Drew Hutchison (ribs) and Sitili Tupouniua is back from suspension in the back row, pushing Nat Butcher to the interchange and Tuku Hau Tapuha to reserves.

Victor Radley (HIA) and Sam Walker (shoulder) will both play.

Hau Tapuha and Naufahu Whyte were the first two players cut from the squad on Friday.

The Roosters have won only two of their past nine games at Suncorp Stadium.

Cowboys: A late change with Tom Gilbert joining the bench in jersey 20 and Ben  Condon reverting to 18th man.

Kane Bradley and Corey Jensen were the first two players cut 24 hours before kick-off. Daejarn Asi was cut an hour before kick-off.

Jason Taumalolo will become the eighth player to appear in 200 NRL games for the Cowboys.

Team Lists

Backs

  • Fullback for Roosters is number 1 James Tedesco
    Fullback for Cowboys is number 1 Valentine Holmes
  • Winger for Roosters is number 2 Daniel Tupou
    Winger for Cowboys is number 2 Kyle Feldt
  • Centre for Roosters is number 3 Josh Morris
    Centre for Cowboys is number 3 Javid Bowen
  • Centre for Roosters is number 4 Joseph Manu
    Centre for Cowboys is number 4 Connelly Lemuelu
  • Winger for Roosters is number 5 Matt Ikuvalu
    Winger for Cowboys is number 5 Murray Taulagi
  • Five-Eighth for Roosters is number 6 Lachlan Lam
    Five-Eighth for Cowboys is number 6 Scott Drinkwater
  • Halfback for Roosters is number 7 Sam Walker
    Halfback for Cowboys is number 7 Jake Clifford

Forwards

  • Prop for Roosters is number 8 Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
    Prop for Cowboys is number 8 Coen Hess
  • Hooker for Roosters is number 9 Ben Marschke
    Hooker for Cowboys is number 9 Reece Robson
  • Prop for Roosters is number 10 Isaac Liu
    Prop for Cowboys is number 10 Jordan McLean
  • 2nd Row for Roosters is number 11 Angus Crichton
    2nd Row for Cowboys is number 11 Shane Wright
  • 2nd Row for Roosters is number 12 Sitili Tupouniua
    2nd Row for Cowboys is number 12 Mitchell Dunn
  • Lock for Roosters is number 13 Victor Radley
    Lock for Cowboys is number 13 Jason Taumalolo

Interchange

  • Interchange for Roosters is number 14 Adam Keighran
    Interchange for Cowboys is number 14 Jake Granville
  • Interchange for Roosters is number 15 Daniel Suluka-Fifita
    Interchange for Cowboys is number 15 Lachlan Burr
  • Interchange for Roosters is number 16 Nat Butcher
    Interchange for Cowboys is number 16 Francis Molo
  • Interchange for Roosters is number 17 Siosiua Taukeiaho
    Interchange for Cowboys is number 20 Tom Gilbert

Reserves

  • Reserve for Roosters is number 21 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii
    Reserve for Cowboys is number 17 Ben Condon

Match Officials

  • Referee: Ben Cummins
  • Touch Judge: Belinda Sharpe
  • Touch Judge: Dave Munro
  • Senior Review Official: Henry Perenara

Last updated:

Key match-up

Daniel Tupou v Kyle Feldt: The lanky Rooster has stood tall despite not having had the scoreboard impact of sidelined fellow winger Brett Morris (11 tries) or the veteran's replacement Matt Ikuvalu (hat-trick v Parramatta).

Tupou's 21 tackle busts and six line breaks tower over his Cowboys rival's stats (10, 1) but he will have to be on his toes because Feldt has a gift for finding the line - as he showed with his miraculous put-down against Brisbane.

Stat attack

North Queensland rank No.1 for missed tackles in the NRL and while the Roosters' attacking stocks have been denuded by their brutal injury toll they still have the weapons to make the Cowboys pay if they can't aim up in that area. 

 

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