Halfback Cooper Bambling and winger Rainer Power will make their NYC debuts for the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys in the round nine derby against Brisbane at 1300SMILES Stadium on Friday evening.
Bambling is the second member of the victorious Townsville Stingers’ Mal Meninga Cup team to earn a call-up to the under-20s this year, following on from back-rower Coen Hess, who will come off the bench against the Broncos.
A former student at St Brendan’s College, Bambling was a junior with the Yeppoon Seagulls and represented the Australian Schoolboys before joining the Cowboys’ extended NYC squad for the first time this year.
Power has fought his way back from a serious finger injury that required surgery and prevented him from playing for most of 2013, although he did get to represent Vanuatu in an end-of-year international fixture in Mackay.
A junior with the Bowen Seagulls and Burdekin Roosters, he has been lining up with the Roosters in the Townsville A-grade competition so far in 2014.
Bambling replaces Aaron Solari in the halves, while Power takes over Hayden Crowley’s wing spot.
North Queensland Toyota Cowboys v Brisbane Broncos NYC
5.20pm, Friday 9 May, 1300SMILES Stadium
1 Alex Grant
2 Rainer Power
3 Lenny Magey
4 Samsen O’Neill
5 Scott Schulte
6 Delayne Ashby
7 Cooper Bambling
8 Jack Brock
9 Josh Chudleigh
10 David Munro
11 Jack Kelleher (c)
12 Corey Jensen
13 Andrew Niemoeller
Interchange:
14 Dan Clarke
15 Bill Cullen
16 Viliame Kikau
17 Coen Hess
18 Michael Barclay
20 Hayden Crowley
Coach: Todd Wilson
