Warriors v Roosters: Halves find feet; Big three on track

Two sides coming off emotion-charged victories will square off in front of a mammoth Go Media Stadium crowd on Friday night.

After a poor showing against the Raiders in Vegas, the Warriors were given little hope against Manly but produced one of their finest wins in recent memory to get home 36-16.

Likewise the Roosters were coming off a demoralising Round 1 loss when they took on the might of the Panthers, but with James Tedesco at his inspirational best they stunned the defending champs 38-32 to restore pride in the jersey.

The Roosters' forward stocks are in for a boost with Lindsay Collins (illness),
Spencer Leniu (suspension) and Victor Radley (concussion protocol) all set to return for the trip across the Tasman.

The last time the Roosters ventured to Go Media Stadium in Round 9, 2023 they produced a defensive masterclass to shut out the Warriors 14-0, with Egan Butcher, Nat Butcher and Victor Radley racking up 153 tackles between them.