The third game on Saturday for NRL round 10 is between Nth Queensland Cowboys and Sydney Roosters. The opening bounce is set to commence at 7:30pm with the game to be played at 1300SMILES Stadium in Queensland. The favourite for the match is away team Sydney Roosters but on paper it looks very even. View our preview and teams for the game between Nth Queensland Cowboys and Sydney Roosters.

Featured Bookmakers:

Nth Queensland Cowboys $1.97 vs Sydney Roosters $1.88 at Sportsbet Australia get a $500 FREE BET on this match

Nth Queensland Cowboys $2.05 vs Sydney Roosters $1.80 at Luxbet Australia get a $500 FREE BET on this match

Odds Comparison by NRL Odds:

Nth Queensland Cowboys	1.94	2.00	2.05	2.00	1.94	1.94
Sydney Roosters	1.88	1.83	1.80	1.83	1.88	1.89

Preview:

The Cowboys will be pleased to return to their home ground (2-1 record this year) after visiting Sydney in the past fortnight where they escaped with the competition points against Parramatta (14-10) before finding the Rabbitohs too strong last week, 28-10.

The Cowboys have a 4-5 record this year but as yet, haven’t fulfilled the potential that their roster promises.

Another worrying factor is the Cowboys inability to score points in the second half of the match, only once in the past eight matches have the cowboys been able to muster more than six points. Against the Roosters this week, they’ll have to address this facet of their game.

The Roosters toughed it out well against Manly on Monday night at Brookvale, seeing out the final of the ten minutes of the game with forward Jared Waerea-Hargreaves who was sent from the field for a high shot.

After a few weeks of impressive, big scoring wins over lowly placed or struggling sides, a win such as that over Manly would have pleased all associated with the Roosters and validated them as one of this year’s leading contenders.

However, it was a physical encounter on Monday night and the Roosters find themselves on the back-up with a long trip against a team they’ve struggled against in recent years.

Don’t think there’ll be much between these to with the Roosters just.

Teams:

Nth Queensland Cowboys:
Matthew Bowen, Ashley Graham, Brent Tate, Kane Linnett, Antonio Winterstein, Johnathan Thurston (c), Ray Thompson, Matthew Scott (c), Rory Kostjasyn, James Tamou, Tariq Sims, Gavin Cooper, Dallas Johnson. Interchange: Scott Moore, Glenn Hall, Ashton Sims, Scott Bolton, Jason Taumalolo

Sydney Roosters: 
Anthony Minichiello (c), Daniel Tupou, Michael Jennings, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, James Maloney, Mitchell Pearce, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Jake Friend, Martin Kennedy, Mitchell Aubusson, Sonny Bill Williams, Boyd Cordner. Interchange: Daniel Mortimer, Frank-Paul Nuuausala, Aidan Guerra, Luke O’Donnell.

NRL Roosters accept Waerea-Hargreaves ban

With the risk of losing their forwards enforcer for an extra two weeks, the Sydney Roosters ruefully accepted Jared Waerea-Hargreaves’ five-game NRL suspension on Wednesday.

Waerea-Hargreaves was charged with a grade one reckless high tackle for his hit which left Manly’s George Rose wobbly-legged on Monday night, and led to the season’s first send-off.

Had the 12-Test star taken his case to the judiciary and lost he would’ve been whacked with a seven-week ban – ruling him out of the entire State of Origin period.

Shaving two weeks off with the early guilty plea also ensures the 24-year-old will make his comeback in the round-16 return fixture against the Sea Eagles at Allianz Stadium in what is sure to be a fiery affair.

The New Zealand international took to Twitter to voice his disappointment at the suspension – and remind everyone of the return clash.

“Very disappointed to be out for a while. Onwards & upwards,” he wrote.

“Very proud of the way the boys lifted on Monday night, I know they’ll continue to play hard while I’m out.

“Looking forward to Manly in Rd16!

“Couldn’t risk getting 7 weeks and miss out on playing manly again!”

Waerea-Hargreaves will miss crucial games against North Queensland, Melbourne and Canterbury, with the Roosters certain to miss his presence in the middle of the field following a hot start to the season.

He will also be unavailable for clashes against Parramatta and the Warriors before returning.

Waerea-Hargreaves found an ally in former Manly teammate Anthony Watmough, who said the decision was unlucky.

“Who knows what’s going to happen?” Watmough said.

“If it’s (Manly pair) Stevie (Matai) or Richie (Fa’aoso) they’re copping the book.

“I don’t know what I can say without getting in trouble or not.

“It’s unlucky that he’s got a five-week suspension.

“(The Roosters will) miss the guy, because he adds a bit of spark to that pack.”

Waerea-Hargreaves was one of six players to accept early pleas, which includes Roosters teammate Jake Friend, who is free to face the Cowboys on Saturday despite copping a grade one careless high tackle charge.

In other judiciary news, South Sydney winger Andrew Everingham will miss two matches after taking the early guilty plea for a grade-two shoulder charge.

Parramatta’s Darcy Lussick will also miss two weeks for fighting, with Brisbane’s Josh McGuire and Penrith’s Mose Masoe escaping suspension with their early pleas.