At least North Queensland coach Neil Henry could see the funny side of ex-Queensland lock Dallas Johnson’s NRL career being ended by a knee injury.

Henry has not had much to laugh about since being told he will not be required next year after the Cowboys’ NRL finals hopes were all but extinguished by last round’s 18-16 loss to Brisbane.

However, he still couldn’t help break into an ironic chuckle when confirming Johnson had suffered a serious knee injury against the Broncos and would not play again.

Johnson had announced just last week that he would retire at the end of the NRL season.

But his farewell was brought forward six weeks after tearing an anterior cruciate ligament falling awkwardly in a tackle on Friday night – hardly a fitting swansong for one of league’s hardest players.

“It’s ironic that a guy who plays such a physical game has done his knee in a real innocuous situation,” Henry said.

“He has been hit from behind and fallen over someone – not a big collision by charging into a defender or carrying the ball.

“He is obviously very distressed about it, he just loves playing footy.

“Everyone likes to go out on their own terms and that has been taken away from him.

“Our thoughts are with him but the facts are he’s done.”

In a stellar 11-season career, Johnson played 222 NRL games including four straight grand finals during his stint with Melbourne (2003-2009).

After spending 2010 with English Super League club Calatan Dragons, Johnson played 67 games for the Cowboys.

He played 12 Origins for Queensland and a 2007 Test for Australia.

Johnson, 30, will be replaced at lock by Joel Riethmuller for Saturday night’s home clash with South Sydney.

Kyle Feldt – the National Youth Competition’s all-time leading points scorer – will make his NRL debut on the wing, replacing Kalifa Faifai Loa in the only other starting side change.

English hooker Scott Moore, back-rowers Tariq Sims and Jason Taumalolo, prop Scott Bolton and utility forward Rory Kostjasyn are the new faces on a six-man bench.