Sydney Roosters stars Mitchell Pearce and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves are set to make their long-awaited NRL season debuts after being named on Tuesday to take on Newcastle this weekend.

Pearce hasn’t played since copping an eight game ban for his Australia Day atrocity, while Waerea-Hargreaves returns after recovering from a knee reconstruction.

Lock Isaac Liu also returns from suspension in what is arguably the strongest Roosters team to be named all season.