Unsure on his best 17 one match before the NRL season proper Cowboys coach Paul Green has unveiled his 20-man squad for the Cowboys' final pre-season trial against Gold Coast Titans in Cairns, in alphabetical order.
Despite describing the match as a "dress rehearsal" for round one, Green admits he still does not know what his strongest 17 looks like.
"I didn't want too much made of the team I name that's going to run out this weekend," he said.
"That's more the reason why I named it without numbers.
"I haven't made my mind up yet, I've still got a few weeks to decide."
Green said he plans to rifle through multiple combinations this weekend in an effort to whittle down the list of possibles for North Queensland's NRL opener against the Sydney Roosters.
The biggest question marks are over the No.9 jersey, with Green yet to settle on his combination of rakes.
Johnathan Thurston has pulled up well from the Indigenous All-Stars clash and has been named to pull on Cowboys colours for the first time this year, along with co-captain Matt Scott, who returns after shoulder surgery.
Who Thurston will be next to in the halves is less clear.
Robert Lui will be given a run but Michael Morgan - who is competing with Lachlan Coote for fullback - has been used as a five-eighth in pre-season outings.
"We've got an opposed session tomorrow, we'll have a look at a few different combinations and then I'll decide which team's going to start," Green said.
"Whilst I'm treating this as a dress rehearsal in many respects, there's still a number of positions that are open at this stage.
"From a combinations and gameplay point-of-view, I'm pretty happy with (our pre-season).
"But the real test will come in a game, and this is our first real opportunity as our strongest team."
The only big name missing for the Cowboys is James Tamou, who is recovering from a neck injury but is still on track for the opening round.
Even is he is ready Green has flagged the possibility of giving Tamou a week in the Queensland Cup before throwing him straight back into the NRL.
"It'd be nice to give him a bit of a hitout before round one so that will be the big question. I'm not sure yet," he said.
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