The fitness of several North Queensland Toyota Cowboys will be assessed during the week after head coach Paul Green again named an unchanged team for Saturday’s Round 2 NRL match against the Parramatta Eels at Pirtek Stadium.
If all 17 named players take the field, it will be the sixth-straight major competition match – going back to week two of the 2015 finals series and including the club’s successful World Club Challenge tilt in England – where Green has fielded the same 17 players.
Speaking at Cowboys HQ today, Green said the team was being picked on form and that he was glad to be able to field the same side for the Eels match as the one that defeated the Sharks 20-14 at 1300SMILES Stadium on Saturday, that victory kick-starting the Cowboys’ premiership defence.
“Continuity’s always a good thing … it just allows you to build on your combinations, so while we can do it, I’ll take it,” Green said.
The third-year NRL mentor said he would decide on a travelling 18th man later in the week, with winger Antonio Winterstein still being monitored and assessed according to NRL concussion protocol after he left the field following a head knock against the Sharks.
Green was confident Winterstein would be cleared to play and added that there were several minor injuries to players that may affect their training regime this week.
Saturday’s game kicks off at 7.30pm, New South Wales time (6.30pm Queensland time).
North Queensland Toyota Cowboys v Parramatta Eels
Round 2, 2016 NRL Telstra Premiership
7.30pm (local), Saturday 12 March, Pirtek Stadium
1. Lachlan Coote
2. Kyle Feldt
3. Justin O’Neill
4. Kane Linnett
5. Antonio Winterstein
6. Michael Morgan
7. Johnathan Thurston (c)
8. Matthew Scott (c)
9. Jake Granville
10. James Tamou
11. Gavin Cooper
12. Ethan Lowe
13. Jason Taumalolo
14. Rory Kostjasyn
15. John Asiata
16. Scott Bolton
17. Ben Hannant
Coach: Paul Green
