The Sydney Roosters will face one of the NRLs toughest trips this weekend when they head north to Townsville to face the 10th placed Cowboys this Saturday night.
Coming off the back of a hoodoo-breaking win over the Sea Eagles on Monday night, the boys from Bondi will be up against a North Queensland outfit that boasts not only the Australian front-row in Matt Scott and James Tamou, but also the player regarded as the best in the world in Johnathan Thurston.
Sitting in second position after nine rounds, Trent Robinsons side are flying high with seven wins to their name but this weekend will be without their starting front row in the injured Sam Moa and the suspended Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.
Hargreaves was rubbed out of the game for five weeks on Wednesday after the club chose not to fight the charges against the Kiwi prop following his send-off on Monday night and the loss of the hard-hitting forward will be a huge one for the Tricolours both on and off the field.
Robinson however has said all season that he doesnt have a side, but in fact a squad and the expectation on all players under his, Jason Taylor and Craig Fitzgibbons watch is that they are NRL ready whenever named.
Lama Tasi and Dylan Napa will travel with the side to North Queensland, with the latter yet to make his NRL debut, and will compete with Luke ODonnell and Frank-Paul Nuuausala for JWHs number eight shirt.
2013 recruit ODonnell will face his former side for the first time since returning to the NRL on a one-year deal with the Tricolours and will undoubtedly be out to show his former team mates, coaches and supporters that he has returned as good if not better a player than when he departed two years ago.
The former Kangaroo and NSW hit man has found his feet in recent weeks, playing off the bench for Robinson, with almost 600m gained off 69 hit-ups in just seven matches and will be keen to continue his solid form in his former home town.
James Maloney, whos been the talk of the town in NSW after his scintillating start to the season has seen him mentioned as the front-runner for the Blues No.6 shirt for the 2013 Origin series, will come face-to-face with the man he may play if he gets a Blues debut, Thurston.
Theres no doubt Laurie Daley will be watching on to see how for the Roosters halves match-up against the games first million-dollar man, with their combination continuing to flourish and grow the more time they spend together out in the middle.
Former Rooster Kane Linnett will match-up against good mate Shaun Kenny-Dowall down the Chooks right-edge, in yet another mouth-watering battle in this Round 10 clash.
Coming off the back of a hoodoo-breaking win over the Sea Eagles on Monday night, the boys from Bondi will be up against a North Queensland outfit that boasts not only the Australian front-row in Matt Scott and James Tamou, but also the player regarded as the best in the world in Johnathan Thurston.
Sitting in second position after nine rounds, Trent Robinsons side are flying high with seven wins to their name but this weekend will be without their starting front row in the injured Sam Moa and the suspended Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.
Hargreaves was rubbed out of the game for five weeks on Wednesday after the club chose not to fight the charges against the Kiwi prop following his send-off on Monday night and the loss of the hard-hitting forward will be a huge one for the Tricolours both on and off the field.
Robinson however has said all season that he doesnt have a side, but in fact a squad and the expectation on all players under his, Jason Taylor and Craig Fitzgibbons watch is that they are NRL ready whenever named.
Lama Tasi and Dylan Napa will travel with the side to North Queensland, with the latter yet to make his NRL debut, and will compete with Luke ODonnell and Frank-Paul Nuuausala for JWHs number eight shirt.
2013 recruit ODonnell will face his former side for the first time since returning to the NRL on a one-year deal with the Tricolours and will undoubtedly be out to show his former team mates, coaches and supporters that he has returned as good if not better a player than when he departed two years ago.
The former Kangaroo and NSW hit man has found his feet in recent weeks, playing off the bench for Robinson, with almost 600m gained off 69 hit-ups in just seven matches and will be keen to continue his solid form in his former home town.
James Maloney, whos been the talk of the town in NSW after his scintillating start to the season has seen him mentioned as the front-runner for the Blues No.6 shirt for the 2013 Origin series, will come face-to-face with the man he may play if he gets a Blues debut, Thurston.
Theres no doubt Laurie Daley will be watching on to see how for the Roosters halves match-up against the games first million-dollar man, with their combination continuing to flourish and grow the more time they spend together out in the middle.
Former Rooster Kane Linnett will match-up against good mate Shaun Kenny-Dowall down the Chooks right-edge, in yet another mouth-watering battle in this Round 10 clash.
