NRL live updates: North Queensland Cowboys vs Sydney Roosters

Tedesco didn’t come out for the second half but it’s purely precautionary – pretty nice deal when you can rest blokes for a whole second half!

Well, there’s something. Luke drops Purdue under, he cuts through the middle and has Chester in support to score a nice long range try.

Drinkwater converts and it’s 52-12.

We’re back right where we left off – Cherry-Evans puts up a bomb, Taulagi misjudges it and knocks it back, Toia picks it up and gives Nawaqanitawase an easy passage to the line.

They’ve hit 50 and there could be plenty more to come. Walker pulls it across the face but it’s still 52-4.

The Roosters kick us off and we’re halfway home.

They might have another! Walker puts up a bomb, the Cowboys can’t field it, it falls for Butcher who has Toia and he finds Walker to score!

The Bunker doesn’t like it though, and Foketi is penalised for offside. That cost them a slice of history but on the whole a pretty good half!

Oh man, this is beyond ugly.

Toia brushes through some appalling defence around halfway, he has Tedesco in support and the skipper gets his second.

If Walker can convert it will equal the record for most points ever scored in the first half of a first grade match….and he nails it!

Roosters lead 48-6! Holy God!

A Roosters penalty puts them on the attack, they take it left on the last, strip the Cowboys for numbers easily and Talau is over in the corner for their seventh try of the first half!

They’re going to go at a point a minute for the first half – at least! Walker from touch….of course he kicks it! Roosters lead 42-6.

It’s another one for the Roosters – the Cowboys run it right, Laybutt goes for a tip on to Taulagi, Nawaqanitawase tips it up for the intercept and fends off Drinkwater to go 50 metres to score!

That’s his first try after four matches without getting on the scoresheet. Once Walker converts it’s 36-6 to the Roosters.

What a disaster for the Cowboys.

This is a smash-up. Walker hits Foketi short around halfway, he’s in the clear and he sells Drinkwater a big dummy to score a brilliant try! Very athletic stuff from the young backrower.

Walker converts and it’s 30-6, the Roosters are keeping up with the clock.

Drinkwater hoists up a kick, Nawaqanitawase loses it and it falls perfectly for Taulagi to score an easy and sorely needed try!

But Klein doesn’t like it, we go to the Bunker and they rule that Laybutt touched it first.

Roosters ball.

The Roosters are rolling now. A penalty puts them back on the attack and on the last tackle Walker steps off his left foot through some feeble defence to score under the posts.

That’s his second try of the night and once he converts it’s 24-6 Roosters.

Cherry-Evans nails a 40/20 and the Roosters are on the attack again.

Tedesco probes across the field, he pokes a kick in and Savala is there first to score their third try of the night.

Geez, wasn’t much on there and in the blink of an eye, once Walker converts, it’s 18-6 Roosters.

Again the Roosters pick the Cowboys apart through the middle, Walker hits inside Tedesco with a nice inside ball and backs up to get the ball back and score.

Crafty stuff from the halfback and once he converts his own try it’s 12-6 Roosters.

Back to back penalties put the Cowboys on the attack and give them a fresh set in the red zone.

They sweep right, Purdue digs right into the line and tries to fire a pass to Burns, Talau gets a hand to it, it falls for Burns anyway and the winger is over in the corner!

Drinkwater converts from out wide and it’s 6-all. Nice fightback from North Queensland.

After the Cowboys wrap up Wong on the last tackle Laybutt plays the ball and Drinkwater isn’t paying attention!

Wong goes to dive on the ball but he knocks it on! Blushes dodged by the Cowboys, who have gotten off to a very slow start.

Radley pulls through some soft defence in the middle of the field and slips a beautiful offload to Robson to put him away and Tedesco is in support to score.

Outstanding start for the Chooks and once Walker converts it’s 6-0 Roosters.

Cowboys kick us off, running right to left.

Reuben Cotter and Connor Watson lead the teams out with the Cowboys wearing an strip commemorating Indigenous round.

We’ll have a smoking ceremony, a welcome to country and then the game will get underway.

It was a good few months ago now but here’s the good oil from the last time these two teams met. One of a number of strong Cowboys this year – most of which have come without Tom Dearden, funnily enough.

Can they give us a sequel tonight? Or will the Chooks win their sixth straight?