I can not help you with the decals, I try to avoid checkers for that very reason, although I like the look. If they do not fit, they do not look right, so if they are not sized for that kit, you may need to mask and spray, a very long and hard masking job, but should get you great results.
I can tell you that the roden kits are great fun, they build op very good and are very well detailed, but the nose can be fiddly.
If you look around the net for build logs, you should find many good ones, helping you along.
Quick search turned up this one, hope it helps
https://modelingmadness.com/review/w1/cleaverrd7.htm