The Cowboys are the new Eels. Michael Morgan the new Jarryd Hayne. Fairytale story. How did they get here? How do they beat Melbourne? Well, history is repeating eight years on. And there's no asterisk this time.
And you thought North Queensland's last grand final appearance was a fairytale story.
Luke Keary is sick of talking about the night he took on Russell Crowe. His Roosters teammates, bless them, won't let him forget it.
A year ago, Shaun Fensom couldn't get a run for the Canberra Raiders in their NRL preliminary final.
The North Queensland Cowboys playmaker needs a few new descriptors as he takes bold strides in his NRL career.
Luke Keary hauled himself from his sick bed to train with the Roosters for the first time on the eve of their grand final qualifier as his coach Trent Robinson conceded he's baffled about Matt Scott's availability for the Cowboys.
Why the Cowboys are always sold short, are the Roosters ready for an 80-minute rumble and exclusive never-before-seen detail into how they can stop Jason Taumalolo.
The Cowboys are out of sight but have the Sydney Roosters squarely in their sights as they prepare for another raid in their fairytale finals campaign.
Sonny Bill Williams had such a profound affect during his short stint at the Roosters that he is still being hailed for influencing the club's culture three years after leaving Bondi Junction.
There's a reason why Latrell Mitchell is the last man into the Roosters sheds after every game. It's the same reason he's the last Roosters player signing autographs and taking photos with fans on his way out of the ground. That reason is Johnathan Thurston.
In a "rollercoaster" season in which he was dropped to reserve grade and also touted as a State of Origin bolter, Latrell Mitchell produced one of the highs this finals series.
The Sydney Roosters are confident Luke Keary will be fit to train on Thursday after he was sent home for a second consecutive day with food poisoning.
Sydney Roosters prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves has described Cowboys enforcer Jason Taumalolo as the best forward in the NRL, but the tricolours share a belief he has some off-the-ball deficiencies they can exploit on Saturday night.
An ill Luke Keary has sent a scare through the Sydney Roosters camp but the five-eighth and winger Daniel Tupou are expected to be cleared for Saturday's NRL grand final qualifier against North Queensland.
A series of heart-to-heart meetings with Nick Politis this winter convinced the Sydney Roosters supremo that Blake Ferguson was worth taking another chance on.
The Roosters are the last Sydney team standing in the NRL finals. Does it matter if they don't make it?
Boyd Cordner is not surprised at what Paul Green has achieved at North Queensland even without Johnathan Thurston and Matt Scott.
The Roosters No.7 hasn't been the same player since NSW's series defeat as he was before winning a Blues jumper this year.
Is the week off a blessing or a curse? The stats suggest it's an advantage, but it's not as big as you might think.
In a season where all 16 NRL teams have ratcheted up their attack, some very soft tries have been scored over the past month.
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