North Queensland Toyota Cowboys head coach Paul Green will again switch out his big men ahead of tonight's 2017 NRL Telstra Premiership Grand Final against the Melbourne Storm at ANZ Stadium.
All through the finals campaign, Green has named the versatile John Asiata to start mid-week, but has moved interchange forward Shaun Fensom into the starting lineup for the final team selection.
He will do so again as the Cowboys aim to win a second NRL Premiership in three seasons when they take on 2017’s runaway minor premiers the Storm.
Aside from that switch, Green will take an unchanged lineup into the match, with veteran Matt Scott not playing after being named in the extended 21-man squad for the grand final and for last weekend’s preliminary final against the Sydney Roosters.
At Saturday's final press conference, Green reiterated that Scott was only ever included in the squad as injury cover and that playing him in the grand final would have been a massive risk.
Gavin Cooper will again captain the team he has led so admirably in the finals series, with halfback Michael Morgan, veteran prop Scott Bolton and classy fullback Lachlan Coote deputising in leadership roles.
2017 NRL TELSTRA PREMIERSHIP GRAND FINAL SYDNEY
North Queensland Toyota Cowboys v Melbourne Storm
Sunday 1 October, ANZ Stadium
#NRLGF #NQTougherTogether
6.30pm: Entertainment
7.15pm (6.30pm Qld): NRL Grand Final kick off
COWBOYS: 1. Lachlan Coote, 2. Kyle Feldt, 3. Justin O’Neill, 4. Kane Linnett, 5. Antonio Winterstein, 6. Te Maire Martin, 7. Michael Morgan, 17. Shaun Fensom, 9. Jake Granville, 10. Scott Bolton, 11. Gavin Cooper (c), 12. Ethan Lowe, 13. Jason Taumalolo. Interchange: 8. John Asiata, 14. Ben Hampton, 15. Coen Hess, 16. Corey Jensen.
STORM: 1 Billy Slater, 2 Suliasi Vunivalu, 3 Will Chambers, 4 Curtis Scott, 5 Josh Addo-Carr, 6 Cameron Munster, 7 Cooper Cronk, 8 Jesse Bromwich, 9 Cameron Smith (c), 10 Jordan Mclean, 11 Felise Kaufusi,
12 Tohu Harris, 13 Dale Finucane. Interchange: 14 Kenny Bromwich, 15 Tim Glasby, 16 Nelson Asofa-Solomona, 17 Slade Griffin.
