Roosters v Cowboys NRL round 13 preview & betting tips | 2/6/24

Roosters v Cowboys top picks

Sydney Roosters v North QLD Cowboys round 13 match preview

The red-hot Sydney Roosters will host an in-form North Queensland Cowboys outfit to wrap up round 13 of the NRL Premiership at Allianz Stadium.

The Sydney Roosters have won four of their last five matches, including wins over the Broncos and Warriors, to sit in seventh position on the NRL ladder. A win in this clash with the Cowboys could see them sneak into top four.

The Cowboys have a chance to climb into the top eight themselves following wins over the Rabbitohs and Tigers in the last fortnight. However, a loss could see them fall into the bottom four on the ladder.

Roosters head coach Trent Robinson will be without Angus Crichton, Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i, Lindsay Collins, and Spencer Leniu, who have been called into their respective State of Origin squads for game one of the State of Origin, as well as fullback and captain James Tedesco who has been a late call-up into the squad as cover for Dylan Edwards. Robinson will also be without Egan Butcher (knee) for the remainder of the season.

Fetalaiga Pauga has been called into the centres, Terrell May will start in the front row, and Nat Butcher will start in the second row. Siua Wong and Sitili Tupouniua have been named to come off the interchange bench alongside Blake Steep, who will make his NRL debut. Should Tedesco miss this match, it’s expected that Joseph Manu will start at fullback, with Michael Jennings coming from the reserves to start at centre.

Todd Payten’s Cowboys squad has been equally ripped apart by representative selections, with Jeremiah Nanai, Murray Taulagi, Reuben Cotter, Tom Dearden, and Valentine Holmes all being selected for the Queensland Maroons, while Reece Robson will play for the New South Wales Blues.

Tom Chester has been named to return from injury at centre with Braidon Burns on the wing and Jake Clifford at five-eighth. Kulikefu Finefeuiaki will start in the second row with Thomas Mikaele named at lock, with Harrison Edwards named to come off the interchange bench alongside NRL debutant Jamal Shibasaki.

Roosters v Cowboys R13 team lists

North Queensland Cowboys

1. Scott Drinkwater
2. Kyle Feldt
3. Tom Chester
4. Viliami Vailea
5. Braidon Burns
6. Jake Clifford
7. Chad Townsend
8. Jordan McLean
9. Jake Granville
10. Griffin Neame
11. Heilum Luki
12. Kulikefu Finefeuiaki
13. Thomas Mikaele
14. Sam McIntyre
15. Harrison Edwards
16. Jamal Shibasaki
17. Jason Taumalolo

Roosters v Cowboys Rd 13 betting predictions

The Roosters opened as short-priced favourites to win this match and have been crunched in to $1.12 odds to win this match with the top NRL bookmakers.

The Cowboys have failed to win each of their last six matches against teams ranked in the top eight on the ladder, and they’ve failed to cover the line in eight of their last nine games. Meanwhile, the Roosters have won five of their last six matches against the Cowboys by 13+ points. Provided Tedesco lines up for his side on Sunday afternoon, the home side should be able to win and cover the -19.5 point line with Neds at -111.11.

Five of Sydney’s last six matches have gone over the total match points line. Similarly, they have already played in seven games this season, with more than 50 points scored in each match. Expect a strong offensive performance from the Roosters that results in this match having more than 52.5 points scored (-111.11).

Roosters outside back Manu been in phenomenal form throughout this season. Most recently, he’s scored six tries in his last five games, which will make Cowboys fans very nervous as their side is expected to struggle defensively. PlayUp are offering great value for Manu to score 2+ tries in this match (+260).

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