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The Roosters are penalised twice – Hugo Savala is offside then Reece Robson is pinged for an illegal ball strip – and the Cowboys make them pay, a nice backline shift to the right ending with a Jaxon Purdue pass ricocheting off a Roosters defender and lobbing into the path of unmarked North Queensland winger Braidon Burns.

Drinkwater swings around a perfect sideline conversion, and it’s all square.

Cowboys 6, Roosters 6 after 12 minutes

A bit of chaos near the Cowboys tryline as North Queensland centre Zac Laybutt plays the ball to Scott Drinkwater – who is looking at his backline and seemingly unaware the ball is at his feet.

Roosters second-rower Siua Wong spots and opportunity and dives on the ball, the ball fumbles out of his hands and falls to Daly Cherry-Evans, and at first it looks like this might be a truly bizarre Roosters try but the referee calls back play for a knock-on by Wong. Strange brainsnap by Drinkwater there.

Roosters 6, Cowboys 0 after 10 minutes

Andrew Johns wrote this week about how crucial Victor Radley is to the Roosters’ attack, and the veteran lock runs through the line then offloads to Reece Robson to set up the game’s opening try, Robson finding James Tedesco who scores beside the posts.

Sam Walker lands the simple conversion. Super start from the Roosters.

Roosters 6, Cowboys 0 after four minutes

Referee Ashley Klein blows the whistle, the Cowboys in their Indigenous Round jerseys kick us off and the Roosters get first use of the ball tonight. It’s a tough set, the best run coming with a half break from former Cowboy Reece Robson out of dummy-half, before Daly Cherry-Evans gets a kick away to Scott Drinkwater on North Queensland’s 10-metre line.

Should be a good contest, this one. The Cowboys can take a massive step towards finals football if they beat the Roosters for the second time this year.

Cowboys 0, Roosters 0 after two minutes

Daly Cherry-Evans is set to play his 371st NRL game tonight, one game shy of Cooper Cronk’s career tally of 372. Cherry-Evans is on track to become the second most-capped NRL player ever once he passes Cronk, with Cameron Smith well ahead of the pack with 430.

North Queensland Cowboys

1. Scott Drinkwater 2. Braidon Burns 3. Zac Laybutt 4. Tomas Chester 5. Murray Taulagi 6. Jake Clifford 7. Jaxon Purdue 8. Thomas Mikaele 9. Soni Luke 10. Jason Taumalolo 11. Heilum Luki 12. Jeremiah Nanai 13. Reuben Cotter

Bench: 14. Ethan King 16. Matthew Lodge 17. Coen Hess 18. Sam McIntyre 19. Kaiden Lahrs 20. Kai O’Donnell

Sydney Roosters

1. James Tedesco 2. Tommy Talau 3. Hugo Savala 4. Robert Toia 5. Mark Nawaqanitawase 6. Daly Cherry-Evans 7. Sam Walker 8. Naufahu Whyte 9. Reece Robson 15. Salesi Foketi 11. Nat Butcher 12. Siua Wong 13. Victor Radley

Bench: 10. Spencer Leniu 14. Connor Watson 16. Egan Butcher 17. Taylor Losalu 18. Cody Ramsey 19. Reece Foley

The Cowboys were the team that ended the Roosters’ six-game winning streak earlier this season, pipping the Sydneysiders by six at Allianz Stadium in round 11.

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Winger Daniel Tupou is leaning towards playing one more year with the Sydney Roosters, but should the Bondi club not accommodate him, he is prepared to pursue a two-year deal in the Super League.

Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson on Tuesday confirmed Tupou would return for the NRL finals after dislocating his shoulder last Friday night against the Knights – but no call had been made about next year.

Tupou’s preference would be to play a 16th season in the red, white and blue. But the 35-year-old met his manager Sam Ayoub on Monday who informed him several English Super League clubs had expressed interest in him.

The chance to sign a two-year deal has appeal, while Tupou also knows the Super League would be less physically demanding.

Tupou remains one of the best aerial threats in the game, and bagged a hat-trick in his 300th milestone match against the Eels earlier this month. The Super League is known for its attacking brand of football, which would suit the Tongan international.

Mark Nawaqanitawase will leave the Roosters at the end of the season to return to rugby, and should Tupou also try his luck abroad, the Roosters have plenty of depth, including Cody Ramsey, Tommy Talau, Billy Smith, Manly recruit Reuben Garrick, and Tom Rodwell. They also have Rex Bassingthwaighte who is being groomed to be James Tedesco’s No. 1 successor, with the club happy to give their future fullbacks time on the wing at the start of their careers.

Rugby league Immortal Andrew Johns analysed the Roosters’ many attacking weapons in this week’s column for the Herald, but he also is tipping the underdogs to prevail in tonight’s game.

Here’s how he sees the contest:

“I think Thursday night’s clash will be an attacking shoot-out, led by two gunslingers in Walker and Scott Drinkwater. Both play without fear of error or consequence and that could easily mean 30 points or more will be needed to win this one.

“The Cowboys are coming off a five-day turnaround but they haven’t left Townsville, while the Roosters have had a day’s worth of travel up north.