Friday, 22 September 2017: Three key match-ups in the Sydney Roosters v North Queensland NRL preliminary final.

THREE KEY MATCH-UPS IN THE ROOSTERS V COWBOYS NRL PRELIMINARY FINAL

* Mitchell Pearce v Michael Morgan

He's been long chastised as the joke of State of Origin, but statistics revealed this week proved Pearce reigns as king of NRL finals with the highest winning rate of all halves remaining in the race for the premiership. His redemption with the Roosters this year has mirrored the team's success and he can put aside another disappointing Origin campaign for NSW with a second grand final appearance. Cowboys' opposite Morgan is the undoubted team quarterback and has risen to elite status in the absence of champion playmaker Johnathan Thurston. The winner of this dual is likely to have a major bearing on the winner of the game.

* Jared Waerea-Hargreaves v Jason Taumalolo

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It didn't take long for Waerea-Hargreaves to call out Taumalolo this week, setting the stage for fireworks to explode early at Allianz Stadium. The spiritual leader of the Roosters forward pack thrives off individual battles and none poses a greater challenge than that of the reigning co-Dally M winner in Taumalolo. The Cowboys No.13 has proven more unstoppable than last year, with his 193 average metres per game this year over 20 metres more than any other player this season. In the opening fortnight of the finals, Taumalolo has upped it to an incredible 230 metres.

* Sio Siua Taukeiaho v Coen Hess

They're both riding the pine when kickoff begins but neither takes a back seat once they get the substitution card midway through the first half. Hess burst out of his post-State of Origin form slump with his 13th try of the season in last week's semi-final win, stamping his reputation as the most prolific tryscoring forward in the league this year. Taukeiaho has proven just as destructive in a new role off the bench this year, none moreso than when he ran for a career-high 210 metres and scored a try in a win over the Cowboys in round 21.