Lowe cleared of touching NRL referee

North Queensland second-rower Ethan Lowe has been cleared by the NRL's match review committee of touching a referee in Thursday night's win over the Sydney Roosters.

Lowe had made contact with whistleblower Gerard Sutton in the first half of the Cowboys' 40-0 annihilation of the Roosters, but can sleep easy with no charges handed out on Friday by the committee.

Incidental touching of referees had come under the spotlight since Canterbury prop David Klemmer was pinged - and later found not guilty by the judiciary - of contrary conduct.