Cowboys vs Roosters
Round 22 2026, Thursday 30 July 2026
Verdict: Roosters by 1
CowboysRoosters
Result: Roosters 82 defeated Cowboys 12 ✓ Tip correct
Match facts
- Kick-off
- Thu 30 Jul, 7:50pm AEST
- Venue
- Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville
- Ladder going in
- Cowboys 8th, Roosters 2nd
- Referee
- Ashley Klein
- Crowd
- 15,835
- Weather
- Fine, good ground
How the experts tipped
Cowboys 8%92% Roosters
| Expert | Tip | Tip correct |
|---|---|---|
| Jordan Baker | Roosters | ✓ |
| Chris Barrett | Roosters | ✓ |
| Zoe Samios | Roosters | ✓ |
| Zac Bailey | Roosters | ✓ |
| Frances Howe | Roosters | ✓ |
| Christian Nicolussi | Roosters | ✓ |
| Billie Eder | Roosters | ✓ |
| Adrian Proszenko | Roosters | ✓ |
| Dan Walsh | Roosters | ✓ |
| Andrew Johns | Cowboys | ✗ |
| Emma Kemp | Roosters | ✓ |
| Neil Breen | Roosters | ✓ |
Going in
| Club | Ladder going in | Last five, oldest first | Model rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 8th | LWWLW | -1.1 |
| Roosters | 2nd | WWWWW | +4.7 |
Last five games
Cowboys
| Round | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Round 21 | v Broncos | W 18–10 |
| Round 20 | at Dolphins | L 16–36 |
| Round 19 | at Sea Eagles | W 19–18 |
| Round 17 | v Panthers | W 26–12 |
| Round 16 | at Warriors | L 20–38 |
Roosters
| Round | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Round 21 | at Knights | W 23–22 |
| Round 20 | v Storm | W 14–6 |
| Round 19 | v Eels | W 28–12 |
| Round 17 | at Broncos | W 24–18 |
| Round 16 | v Sharks | W 27–8 |
Head to head since 2024
| Season | Round | Game | Score | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Round 11 | Roosters v Cowboys | 12–18 | Suncorp Stadium |
| 2025 | Round 16 | Roosters v Cowboys | 42–8 | Allianz Stadium |
| 2024 | Round 13 | Roosters v Cowboys | 16–18 | Allianz Stadium |
Team lists
Cowboys
- 1 Scott Drinkwater Fullback
- 2 Braidon Burns Winger
- 3 Zac Laybutt Centre
- 4 Tom Chester Centre
- 5 Murray Taulagi Winger
- 6 Jake Clifford Five-Eighth
- 7 Jaxon Purdue Halfback
- 8 Thomas Mikaele Prop
- 9 Soni Luke Hooker
- 10 Jason Taumalolo Prop
- 11 Heilum Luki 2nd Row
- 12 Jeremiah Nanai 2nd Row
- 13 Reuben Cotter (c) Lock
- 14 Ethan King Interchange
- 16 Matthew Lodge Interchange
- 17 Coen Hess Interchange
- 18 Sam McIntyre Interchange
- 19 Kaiden Lahrs Reserve
- 20 Kai O'Donnell Reserve
Coach: Todd Payten
Roosters
- 1 James Tedesco (c) Fullback
- 2 Tommy Talau Winger
- 3 Hugo Savala Centre
- 4 Robert Toia Centre
- 5 Mark Nawaqanitawase Winger
- 6 Daly Cherry-Evans Five-Eighth
- 7 Sam Walker Halfback
- 8 Naufahu Whyte Prop
- 9 Reece Robson Hooker
- 10 Spencer Leniu Interchange
- 11 Nat Butcher 2nd Row
- 12 Siua Wong 2nd Row
- 13 Victor Radley Lock
- 14 Connor Watson Interchange
- 15 Salesi Foketi Prop
- 16 Egan Butcher Interchange
- 17 Taylor Losalu Reserve
- 18 Cody Ramsey Interchange
- 19 Reece Foley Reserve
Coach: Trent Robinson
Numbers as named by each club on nrl.com. Changes are measured against the club's previous game.
Why the model leaned this way
Going in, Cowboys rated -1.1 and Roosters +4.7 on our scale, a gap of 5.8 points, plus 4.5 points for playing at their own ground.
Scoring
- Cowboys
- Tries Braidon Burns 10', Tom Chester 54'
- Goals 2/2
- Half-time 6
- Roosters
- Tries James Tedesco 2', Sam Walker 14', Hugo Savala 18', Sam Walker 25', Salesi Foketi 28', Mark Nawaqanitawase 31', Tommy Talau 35', James Tedesco 37', Mark Nawaqanitawase 41', Robert Toia 61', Mark Nawaqanitawase 67', Sam Walker 71', Hugo Savala 75', Cody Ramsey 78'
- Goals 13/14
- Half-time 48
Draw, teams and scoring: nrl.com match centre. Expert tips: The Sydney Morning Herald panel.