North Queensland Toyota Cowboys under-20s coach Aaron Payne has made two personnel changes to his team as he searches for ways to arrest a two-game slide when they take on the Warriors in National Youth Competition action on Saturday.
The young Cowboys have dropped consecutive games on the road with losses to the Tigers and Roosters, and have lost four of their past six matches.
Sunday’s 42-24 Round 23 loss saw the team slip to third on the NYC ladder three rounds out from finals.
The young Cowboys are on 31 competition points, just ahead of a chasing pack comprising the Eels (30 points), Dragons (29) and Sharks (29).
Payne welcomes halfback Cooper Bambling back into the team after four weeks out with an ankle injury, with stand-in No.7 Kalyn Ponga shifting back to his customary fullback role.
Gideon Gela-Mosby moves back to the wing from fullback while utility back Nathan Traill shifts on to the bench.
Payne will go into the match without a pure back-up hooking option for starting No.9 Brandon Smith, with interchange player Duarne Dempsey left out of the 17.
In the forwards, back-ower Corey Horsburgh has forced his way back into the team at the expense of Emry Pere.
Horsburgh will start on the interchange bench while Tahanui Tutavake goes back into the starting team.
North Queensland Toyota Cowboys NYC v New Zealand Warriors NYC
5.15pm, Saturday 20 August, 1300SMILES Stadium
Tickets: cowboys.com.au/tickets
1. Kalyn Ponga
2. Gideon Gela-Mosby
3. Bacho Salam
4. Enari Tuala
5. Marcus Jensen
6. Ty Carucci
7. Cooper Bambling (c)
8. Darryn Schonig
9. Brandon Smith
10. Ross Bella
11. Cody Maughan
12. Hiale Roycroft
13. Tahanui Tutavake
Interchange:
14. Nathan Traill
15. Corey Horsburgh
16. Kaleb Fuimaono
17. Nick Lui Toso
Coach: Aaron Payne
