Johnathan Thurston is likely to face Gold Coast on Saturday despite struggling with a bout of tonsillitis, North Queensland coach Paul Green says.

Thurston didn’t complete the Cowboys final training session on Saturday and Green says he won’t make a final decision on his star playmaker until the morning of the game.

“He’s still a bit flat,” Green said.

“He didn’t do the whole session so he’s still not 100 per cent. He did a little bit of it, he wanted to do a bit of running just to try and hopefully feel a bit better.

“We’ll see how he pulls up after today, but he’s improving.”

Ray Thompson is on standby to replace Thurston if the veteran is unable to take his place in the team.

The Titans, meanwhile, are sweating on the fitness of Jarryd Hayne, who has been named to play but could be a late withdrawal due to a badly corked calf.

Gold Coast have travelled to Townsville with a squad of 19, including David Mead, who will slot into fullback if Hayne is ruled out.

However, given what’s at stake for the Titans – who need to win to keep their finals destiny in their own hands – it’s expected Titans coach Neil Henry will roll the dice on his superstar recruit.

“They’re a good team. They deserve to be where they are,” Green said.