North Queensland’s hopes of ending their NRL form slump against Gold Coast on Sunday have taken a massive hit with Matt Bowen ruled out for up to six weeks.
Bowen has torn cartilage in his left knee and will undergo surgery on Wednesday in one of six absentees for the Cowboys due to State of Origin commitments and injury.
The former Queensland flyer joins back-rower Gavin Cooper (knee) on the sidelines while Johnathan Thurston, Matt Scott, Brent Tate and James Tamou are all on Origin duty and unavailable to take on the Titans.
It means coach Neil Henry will field a makeshift team as the Cowboys aim to end a three-match losing run.
Clint Greenshields will come into fullback for Bowen in his second NRL appearance of the year while Kalifa Faifai Loa and Michael Morgan come in for Tate and Thurston.
Faifai Loa will play on the wing as Antonio Winterstein moves into Tate’s right centre spot.
Henry has also named Jason Taumalolo, Ricky Thorby, Joel Riethmuller, Blake Leary and rookie Ethan Lowe on an extended six-man interchange bench.
Gold Coast are missing co-captains Nate Myles and Greg Bird to Origin duty as well as lock Ashley Harrison.
That means the Titans are sweating on the fitness of Dave Taylor (calf) after he was named in a new-look back-row alongside utility Luke O’Dwyer and Mark Minichiello.
Titans coach John Cartwright said Taylor would be given every opportunity to prove his fitness for the clash with the Cowboys.
“We’ve got a lot of injuries in our back-row and the guys that are going away are all back-rowers as well,” Cartwright said.
“That’s where we’ve been tested the most.”
St George Illawarra will celebrate Mitch Rein’s 50th game for the club but are without NSW Origin selections Brett Morris and Trent Merrin for the match against Canterbury.
“They have been two of our most consistent players this season and it is just reward for their efforts on the field,” coach Steve Price said of the pair’s representative call-ups.
Bulldogs coach Des Hasler said back-rower Tony Williams was unlikely to be a late inclusion to face St George Illawarra as he struggles with an ankle injury.
“No, he won’t be playing,” Hasler said.
The Bulldogs have named Josh Reynolds who has been called up as cover for the NSW Origin side, similarly John Sutton was on Souths’ team sheet as Blues coach Laurie Daley seemingly mulls over who’ll take over from injured bench player Kurt Gidley.
Competition leaders the Rabbitohs could also be without English import Sam Burgess after he was charged with grade one dangerous contact to the neck or head, following a high tackle on Cronulla’s Andrew Fifita in Monday night’s defeat to the Sharks.
Burgess was named by the Bunnies on Tuesday but faces a one-game ban if he is unable to successfully contest the charge.
Souths’ opponents, Newcastle, named lock Jeremy Smith after his six-game suspension ended with David Fa’alogo dropping to the bench.
The Warriors have stuck by the majority of the team that beat the Knights last weekend for their clash with Brisbane, in what will be Jacob Lillyman’s 150th NRL game.
Konrad Hurrell is the only inclusion to the starting line-up for the Warriors, replacing injured Carlos Tuimavave (neck), while the Broncos welcome back veteran Scott Prince at five-eighth after his hamstring injury.
