North Queensland Cowboys

Interchange prop Aaron Pene (shoulder) and back rower Bayley Sironen (Covid) have come straight back into the line-up after missing last Saturday's 20-6 win over Brisbane.

Their returns are offset by utility forward Jazz Tevaga being suspended for two matches on a dangerous contact charge and interchange forward Ben Murdoch-Masila sidelined with an leg injury he picked up just 18 minutes into his return last week.

The visiting Cowboys led 8-4 at the interval but were undone by two tries in the space of four minutes, as Shaun Johnson played a key role with hands and boot.

The Sharks had won the previous two meetings with the Cowboys and six of the past eight, but they fell behind three minutes in when Scott Drinkwater sprinted clear to score.

Ronaldo Mulitalo levelled after 36 minutes from Johnson's pass, but Matthew Scott restored the Cowboys' advantage just three minutes later, powering through a defensive blockade to spin and dot down just before the interval.

Cowboys assistant coach Josh Hannay has also noted how McLean, now fully recovered from an ankle injury that led to him missing 14 games last year, is talking more at training and taking on more of a leadership role as he settles in to life in Townsville after five seasons at the Melbourne Storm.

McLean averaged 155 metres per game in the final six rounds of 2018 and was key in four Cowboys wins.

Macdonald was with the St George Illawarra Dragons this season after debuting for Sydney Roosters in 2014.

According to the North Queensland Cowboys official website, Macdonald has arrived at the club’s camp in preparation for the 2019 season.

The 24-year-old recently participated in the PM’s XIII in Port Moresby where Australia beat PNG 34 – 18.

Born in Port Moresby but growing up in North Queensland, Macdonald debuted in the red, black and gold jersey in 2013 – when he was 19 years of age.

So far he has played nine Test matches for the PNG Kumuls. 

An NRL spokesman confirmed to NRL.com that the Cowboys had informed NRL officials about the incident.

Bolton has been granted conditional bail after he was charged in relation to the alleged indecent assault of a woman at Bondi Beach.

The NSW Police Force released a statement on the incident:

Following a 54-8 hammering at the hands of St George Illawarra back in round three, the Titans looked to have turned a corner to win two of their next three games against Brisbane and Manly.

But all that good work was brought undone at 1300 Smiles Stadium, as the Cowboys went on to break their five-game losing streak.

Green, who became head coach in 2014, ended months of speculation about his future when he confirmed on Monday he had agreed to a three-year deal and was staying on at the Cowboys.

Green is relieved to have sorted out his future.

"I am very happy to have my future sorted and even happier my future is with the Cowboys," he said.

"My family is really settled here, my wife hails from the region and we are all really pleased to be able to continue to be part of the North Queensland community.

The Cowboys, to their credit, have built a reputation as a team where success is expected.

I tipped them to finish in the top two. They need to start playing like that and they need to turn it around in the next month where they play the Panthers, Warriors, Bulldogs, Titans and Raiders. They can't afford to drop more than one of those games.

Paul Green mentioned it in his post-match press conference after the Melbourne loss that they are not doing the one-per-cent efforts that are needed.

The Cowboys appeared to be on their way to a victory after the first quarter of the game but the Broncos responded with three quick tries which could easily have been six as North Queensland opened up like a can of sardines.

The Cowboys travel to Melbourne for a Thursday night clash with their grand final opponents from 2017 and Thurston said it would be carnage unless the defensive effort was better across the park.

Thurston turned in a solid performance in his milestone night, but apart from his grubber to seal the Cowboys' victory, appeared short on match fitness. On the whole, it was a scrappy affair with both sides well below their best.

Kyle Feldt began his season in ideal fashion, with a towering bomb getting enough hang time to allow a pack of Cowboys forwards to drive Matt Prior back into his own in-goal.

The Cowboys showed they were ready to play patient early, as Jake Granville rolled a grubber into the in-goal to force a repeat set.