North Queensland Toyota Cowboys NYC coach Todd Payten has selected his side for the first game of the under 20’s season for the Cowboys v Roosters clash at 1300SMILES Stadium this Saturday evening.
With a solid pre-season behind him, Yamba Bowie has secured the number one jersey for the opening game of 2015.
Australian Schoolboys representative Gideon Mosby will start on the left wing in his very first NYC game after graduating from the Stingers squad, pairing up with Akeripa Tia Kilifi, who has come back from a debilitating groin infection to run out against the Roosters.
On the right Payten has gone with Scott Schulte and Conor Carey, who has scored a position in the centres after playing a utility role for most of the 2014 season.
Ty Carucci and Cooper Bambling will reunite in the halves.
Over in the engine room, Braden Uele will face his old club after gaining first grade experience in the Cowboys' NRL trials against the Broncos and Blackhawks this pre-season.
Viliame Kikau should be hard to stop up the middle and will be keen to extend his try-scoring record.
Bill Cullen and Cohen Hess will line up in the second-row – Cullen will make his return to competition after a shoulder reconstruction in the off-season.
Having shown his leadership skills ahead of round 1, lock Kieran Quabba will lead the side out in his debut as captain.
The game kicks off at 5.45pm as the curtain raiser to the NRL match at 8pm (Qld time).
North Queensland Toyota Cowboys v Sydney Roosters NYC
NYC Round 1, 5.45pm, Saturday 7 March, 1300SMILES Stadium
1 Yamba Bowie
2 Gideon Mosby
3 Akeripa Tia Kilifi
4 Conor Carey
5 Scott Schulte
6 Ty Carucci
7 Cooper Bambling
8 Viliame Kikau
9 Brandon Smith
10 Braden Uele
11 Coen Hess
12 Bill Cullen
13 Kieran Quabba
Interchange:
14 Trey Kemp
15 David Munro
16 Andrew Niemoeller
17 Jordan Kenworthy
18 Ross Bella
19 Kyle Laybutt
Coach: Todd Payten
