Cowboys team named for Mt Isa trial
Tuesday 5 February 2013 2:00 PM
Second-rower Tariq Sims and halfback Robert Lui have been named to make their return from lengthy on-field absences in the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys’ opening 2013 NRL pre-season trial against Brisbane in Mt Isa on Saturday.
They are two of nine players with NRL experience to be selected in the 21-player squad, which also features new Cowboys Clint Greenshields, Curtis Rona and Scott Moore, who are all in the starting 13.
Also included are NYC graduates Kyle Feldt and Felise Kaufusi, who will play their first matches since being promoted to the Cowboys’ full-time NRL squad, and halfback Matt Minto, back-rower Tyson Martin and prop Ben Spina who are trying to win 2013 NRL contracts.
The Cowboys have called up 21-year-old centre BJ Munns, who plays for Charters Towers in the Townsville competition, to sit on an eight-player interchange bench.
Saturday night’s clash will be Sims’s first since suffering a double leg fracture in the round 11 match against Penrith last May, while Lui hasn’t played for the Cowboys since the round one meeting with the Gold Coast in 2012 due to suspension.
The former Tiger will team up with Michael Morgan in the halves as they vie for the job alongside co-captain Johnathan Thurston for the season opener against Canterbury at Bluetongue Stadium in Gosford next month.
England international Moore will get his first chance to impress at hooker with the other main contenders for round one – Anthony Mitchell, Ray Thompson and Rory Kostjasyn - still sidelined following off-season shoulder surgery, while Greenshields starts at fullback with Matthew Bowen (shoulder) absent.
Saturday’s sold out game at Alec Inch Oval will kick off at 5pm and will be played over four 20-minute quarters.
North Queensland’s other trials will be against St George Illawarra in Cairns on 16 February and Gold Coast in Mackay on 23 February.
Training sessions open to the public, including photo and autograph signing time, will be held at the match venue at 4pm on the Friday before each match.
NORTH QUEENSLAND TOYOTA COWBOYS v BRONCOS
2013 NRL pre-season trial
5pm, Saturday 9 February, Alec Inch Oval, Mt Isa
1 Clint Greenshields
2 Kalifa Faifai Loa
3 Curtis Rona
4 Kyle Feldt
5 Wayne Ulugia
6 Michael Morgan
7 Robert Lui
8 Ricky Thorby
9 Scott Moore
10 Scott Bolton
11 Tariq Sims
12 Blake Leary
13 Joel Riethmuller
Interchange:
14 Ethan Lowe
15 Matt Minto
16 Sam Hoare
17 Tyson Martin
18 BJ Munns
19 Felise Kaufusi
20 Ben Spina
21 Chris Grevsmuhl