Cowboys’ State of Origin stars will back up for NRL round 12 clash with Sea Eagles

THE Cowboys’ resting strategy remains on ice and the club will play their Origin stars in Saturday’s grudge game against Manly.

QLD's Johnathan Thurston passes during Game 1 of the 2015 State of Origin series between the NSW Blues and the Queensland Maroons at ANZ Stadium,Homebush .Picture Gregg Porteous

THE Cowboys’ resting strategy remains on ice and the club will play their Origin stars in Saturday’s grudge game against Manly.

Johnathan Thurston revealed in the pre-season he would be strategically rested this year while Matt Scott has also said he was expecting to be given a game off. However, that game is not this one.

Scott trained strongly on Friday despite suffering a cork above his knee in the opening Origin clash on Wednesday night.

Scott played 49 minutes in Queensland’s Origin I victory, carving out 140 metres and making 27 tackles in an impressive display.

He will back up but will probably play fewer than 40 minutes.

Thurston played 80 minutes, making eight runs which was more than the combined runs of Blues halves Mitchell Pearce and Trent Hodkinson.

Manly contributed no players to Origin but will be without Daly Cherry-Evans who suffered a shoulder injury in their last game, a loss to Penrith.

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Cowboys players Matt Scott, Michael Morgan and Johnathan Thurston return to Townsville.

While there is always hype about North Queensland’s derby with the Broncos, the Sea Eagles clash has a bitter backstory.

Manly have won two highly controversial games over the Cowboys, including the 2012 finals match dubbed “the hand of Foran’’.

Foran returns from injury, a key inclusion for the Sea Eagles who are 15th on the ladder.

The Cowboys could be forced to give halves Thurston and Michael Morgan limited minutes in order to minimise injury risk.

Morgan only played 21 minutes in Origin I but it was his first representative clash and said after the game that playing at lock had exhausted him.

Assistant coach John Cartwright said unless Scott woke up today in significant pain, he would play.

His inclusion sends John Asiata back to the bench with Ben Spina and Patrick Kaufusi returning to the Northern Pride.

“He got through the session fine,” Cartwright said of Scott. “There’s always a chance they will wake up a bit sorer on day three of four. All the indications are he will play.

“We are really healthy and you have to enjoy that when you get it. We have a very strong squad. No one deserves to lose their spot.

“Manly are in good form and have won two of their last three. No one is out of the finals race.’’