Wayne Bennett says Alex Glenn will play Thursday night’s crunch NRL clash with North Queensland in Townsville despite the form back-rower missing training with a groin injury.
Bennett also confirmed Sam Thaiday would start in the front row ahead of Herman Ese’ese against a desperate Cowboys, replacing prop Korbin Sims (broken arm).
Brisbane can finish as high as second if they bounce back from last round’s 52-34 loss to Parramatta while North Queensland must win to clinch a finals spot.
Bennett appeared to react brutally to last round’s Eels rout, calling in ex-Broncos hardman and defensive specialist Peter Ryan to add starch to endless tackling drills at training this week.
But the Brisbane coach on Wednesday played down the timing of Ryan’s visit.
“To be honest he’s been talking about coming the last couple of weeks and on Sunday night he just sent me a text saying he is coming to training on Monday – that was it,” Bennett said.
“You guys had a ball with it but that is okay, it took a few other issues away.”
Last week marked only the second time in Brisbane’s club history they had conceded 50 points at home.
But a much more damning stat was no doubt motivating Bennett ahead of the Cowboys clash – no team who has conceded 50 points in a game and gone on to win the premiership that year.
Bennett said he was not concerned with their defence as they look to lock up a home final.
“The team is not built on one defensive display good, bad or indifferent,” he said.
“We do it pretty well most weeks. We just had a bad day.”
Brisbane suffered another major blow in the Eels loss – Sims was lost for the season, joining hooker Andrew McCullough (knee) on the sidelines.
It sparked a pack reshuffle with Thaiday moving from hooker to prop and bench back-up No.9 Ben Hunt starting at rake against North Queensland.
“I am not expecting him to play 80 minutes,” Bennett said of starting hooker Hunt.
“If he can, that is great but if he can’t we will just get him off.
“We know Sam can do the job, Benji Marshall is on the bench and we know (halfback) Kodi Nikorima can go to hooker so there are plenty of options.”
Brisbane will fly to Townsville on Wednesday on a private charter plane.