Looking for a fullback
Barba sacking has Cowboys on the hunt
RUGBY LEAGUE: North Queensland coach Paul Green has admitted the club will consider going to the open market to replace fullback Ben Barba.
Green yesterday all but ruled out moving expected half Michael Morgan back to the No. 1 jersey, leaving the door open for fellow Cowboys Ben Hampton and Te Maire Martin, but admitted the club was also testing the waters externally.
The Cowboys were linked with Rabbitohs flyer Alex Johnston before South Sydney coach Wayne Bennett shut down those rumours earlier this month.
The club is also monitoring the success of Valentine Holmes in the NFL.
Parramatta gun Bevan French could emerge as another potential target, following speculation about his future with the Eels.
“The decision we come to has to be best for the team,” Green said.
“My preference is for Morgo not to go back there at this stage, but at some point that might not be the case.
“My preference is not to start the season like that. We’re just having a look at all the (replacement) options so we want to make sure, whichever way we go, it’s the right thing for us.
“It’s not an easy position to play.
“If we did go internally, particularly with a guy who hasn’t played a lot of fullback, it would be a case of giving him some time there.”
Green fronted media in Townsville yesterday for the first time since Barba was sacked on February 1 after allegedly assaulting his partner on the Australia Day weekend.
The coach said he was confident everything had been checked prior to signing Barba last year.
“It was really disappointing,” he said. “Disappointing for the club and disappointing for Ben.
“We did everything we could (to check for any warning signs) with the information available to us.”
The North Queensland squad were back into full contact training yesterday after being limited to just weights and ball work for two weeks due to flooding.
Green said there was a lot to catch up on in the lead-up to their first trial match against the Titans at Sunshine Coast Stadium on February 23.
“Given the last couple of weeks we’ve had, it’s been fairly disrupted,” he said. “We pretty much lost two weeks out of our pre-season ... a long time. Full credit to the boys, I think they handled it pretty well.
“We’ve got a bit of work to catch up, so how this two-week period looked before the rain probably will look a little bit different and we have to consider the team for our first trial match.”
Photo: Zak Simmonds