Cowboys’ comeback kid O’Neill

HE is North Queensland’s ‘‘Miracle Man’’ with an intimate knowledge of the Melbourne set-up to spearhead a Cowboys grand final boilover.

Centre Justin O’Neill has emerged as a key backline weapon on Sunday night at ANZ Stadium, just a month after fearing his NRL premiership campaign was over.

As if the heartbreak of being axed from the Queensland State of Origin side this year wasn’t painful enough, O’Neill was resigned to missing the NRL playoffs after dislocating his elbow in Round 23.

Scans seemingly confirmed he was finished but O’Neill has become the poster boy for the Cowboys’ late-season resurrection, with his return in their finals defeat of Parramatta a fortnight ago providing another shot-in-the-arm for the club’s grand final charge.

O’Neill will play a vital role on Sunday attempting to muzzle his Origin teammate, Storm centre Will Chambers.

“I can’t believe I’m back – I thought it was all over,” O’Neill said.

O’Neill spent five seasons under Craig Bellamy at the Storm, where he played 67 NRL games and was a member of their premiership-winning outfit that beat the Bulldogs in 2012.