COWBOY TO ADD MORE POWER TO PRIDE PACK

NORTHERN Pride will happily welcome more firepower into the forward pack, with Cowboys-contracted prop Jamayne Taunoa-Brown set to play his first game for the Hostplus Cup club.

Taunoa-Brown is an unlucky victim of the Cowboys’ recent success.

A troublesome hamstring injury and concussion have restricted the former Warrior to just three appearances for the Cowboys.

While he was named 18th man for the Cowboys’ clash with the Titans on Saturday night, North Queensland coach Todd Payten said the 25-yearold would travel to Cairns to line up for the Pride in their important match against Redcliffe Dolphins.

“He’s unlucky, he’s played really well, got injured, he’s come back and played a little bit hurt,” Payten said.

“That’s hamstrung him a little bit with his movements, but we need to get him some game time off the back of a concussion, and a missed game last week.

“Our intention is for him to play some big, big minutes and get some game time under his belt.”

That might be music to Pride coach Ty Williams’ ears, with a Taunoa-Brown-bolstered pack capable of running over the Dolphins.

Barnstorming prop and forwards leader Nick Lui-Toso is cleared to play for the Pride, while Lata Fakalelu and Paea Pua, named on Tuesday as the side’s starting front-rowers, have been in good form.

Lui-Toso, and outside backs Shawn Bowen and Gideon GelaMosby, will be available for their returns provided they got through Friday night’s captain’s run.

Cowboys second-rower Connelly Lemuelu will also play.

The Pride have a 1-3 record and are in danger of falling off the pace, despite it still being early in the season, but lowly Redcliffe shapes as a chance to reclaim some ground.

It is also an opportunity for Williams’ troops to address their secondhalf fadeouts, which have become a serious problem in recent weeks.

The Pride have led at halftime in all games so far, but for the past three weeks have given up leads to throw away valuable competition points.

“We have this patch either straight after halftime or after 10 minutes where, for 10 to 12 minutes we just fall away,” Williams said.

“We’re hitting some roadblocks. “We’ve about staying in the process and making sure we keep our discipline.”

Former Pride fullback Jayden Corrigan has been named at centre for the Dolphins, and he should expect some questions to be asked of his defence by his former teammates.

“We’re still not certain where he will actually play, but if we does line up at centre we’ll run some traffic at him to test him out,” Williams said.

“We need B (centre Bernard Lewis) to be at his best. We know how much of a threat Jayden is with the football in his hands.”

Kick-off is at 5.30pm.