SYDNEY, June 17, 2025 — The Sydney Roosters are set to welcome back several State of Origin stars as they host the North Queensland Cowboys at Allianz Stadium on Sunday in a crucial Round 16 clash with significant top-eight implications.
Fresh off a gritty 12-8 victory over the Newcastle Knights, the Roosters will be buoyed by the inclusion of key representative players.
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Maroons duo Robert Toia and Lindsay Collins, along with Blues counterparts Connor Watson, Angus Crichton, and Spencer Leniu, have all been named to back up from Origin II—pending post-match clearance.
Toia’s return triggers a backline reshuffle, shifting Mark Nawaqanitawase to the wing to cover the departure of Dom Young. In the forward pack, Siua Wong, Naufahu Whyte, and Salesi Foketi maintain their spots, while Victor Radley and Egan Butcher are sidelined due to concussion protocols.
The Roosters, currently sitting eighth on the ladder, will aim to extend their momentum and silence critics questioning their consistency.
For the Cowboys, Sunday’s fixture marks an opportunity to bounce back from a demoralising 58-4 defeat at home to the Dolphins—a club-record loss. That performance was hampered by a pre-game withdrawal of veteran forward Jason Taumalolo due to a calf injury, and the disruption proved costly.
Coach Todd Payten will look for leadership and energy from his returning Origin stars—Tom Dearden, Reece Robson, Jeremiah Nanai, and Reuben Cotter—who have all been named to play. In addition, centre Viliami Vailea and back-rower John Bateman rejoin the side after serving suspensions. However, Taumalolo remains unavailable, which may test the Cowboys’ depth once more.
Statistically, the Cowboys will take confidence from winning their last two encounters with the Roosters, although they sit just two places below their opponents in 10th. Notably, Roosters fullback James Tedesco boasts an impressive 11 tries in his past 13 games at Allianz, while Cowboys hooker Robson has scored four tries in six appearances against the Tricolours.
The Roosters have struggled for form at home, dropping four of their past five games at Allianz Stadium, a vulnerability the Cowboys will seek to exploit.
Kick-off is scheduled for 7:05 a.m. (AEST) on Sunday, June 22, with live coverage on WatchNRL. With finals aspirations on the line and Origin stars returning to club duties, the contest promises fireworks in Sydney.
