Kootingal-Moonbi deserve to be labelled premiership favourites, their skipper Ben Williams has said.
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Williams said the Roosters were "comfortable" with the favourites tag. "But we don't want to get ahead of ourselves," he added.
In the tightest Group 4 competition in years, ending Norths' record six-season golden reign was "there for the taking", the lock-forward said. "They're in a rebuilding stage," he said of Norths.
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"But, obviously, they're still a threat - they've got some top-quality players."
The Roosters sit atop the table and are coming off their best performance of the year, a 48-6 drubbing of Gunnedah.
While the third-placed Bears have lost back-to-back games for the first time in a long time.
Norths' 24-22 extra-time loss to second-placed Narrabri on Sunday halted their remarkable home winning streak at 47 games.
The Bears have four wins and three losses from the opening seven rounds, with their first loss coming against the Roosters in round two (30-12).
On Saturday, Kooty host seventh-placed Werris Creek, who are improving, on what will be the Roosters' annual Charity Day. This year the club have teamed with the Tamworth RSL Sub-Branch.
The Roosters' first-grade and league-tag players will wear special jerseys on the day that are strikingly embossed with military images. The jerseys will then be auctioned.
Kooty will be without injured prop Chris Vidler (hamstring) but welcome back forwards Zach Hatch and former Wests Tigers signing Luke Bonnell, who is in his first season at the Roosters.
"He knows a lot of the guys and what style we play," Williams said of Bonnell.
On Sunday, North Tamworth welcome the winless Cowboys.
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