Talk about a Cowboy having both guns locked and loaded.
Johnathan Thurston might have a dodgy shoulder but he'll have no problems firing bullets in State of Origin II after two more North Queensland teammates were included by the Maroons.
In a team already boasting another Cowboys kingpin in Michael Morgan, edge back-rowers Gavin Cooper and Coen Hess loom as major weapons for NSW to handle in Sydney next Wednesday.
The pair have teamed up for a total of 66 career tries for the Cowboys with Thurston assisting on almost two-thirds of them, the most recent when he combined with Hess last week.
One of a handful of club combinations in Queensland's game two side, Cooper has rode shotgun with Thurston on the left edge ever since moving to Townsville in 2011.
Hess has over the past 12 months ascended into stardom as a wide-running backrower with a remarkable knack of scoring tries close to the line for the Cowboys.
Together the trio has NSW players on high alert with Thurston expected to come in firing after just his second match back from a month-long layoff with a shoulder injury.
Blues backrower and Canterbury star Josh Jackson admitted the Bulldogs had done plenty of homework on Thurston's combination with Hess before their NRL match last month.
He pointed out Thurston's uncanny ability to isolate Hess and Cooper with smaller defenders, spelling trouble for Blues halves James Maloney and Mitchell Pearce in game two.
"We done a fair bit of work on Hess, particularly the guys out on the edge, the halfbacks," Jackson said on Thursday.
"Hess is a big, strong thing and near the tryline he's got good footwork and the ability to beat players and score points.
"I'm sure big Jimmy Maloney and Pearcey will be doing a bit of work on him."
Blues forward Wade Graham denied Thurston would be no more a target in defence due to his recent shoulder issues, especially after such a triumphant return for the Cowboys last week.
"I think everyone's going to be tested, that's the type of arena Origin is," Graham said.
"He defends on the edge there as all halves do and they always get traffic, whether it's playing SG Ball or playing for Australia. He can expect to be tested just the same as everyone else.
"You seen last week the class he has and he's the best player in the world for a reason.
"He had what, a 6-7 weeks layoff, comes back and steers the Cowboys to a big win and gets man-of-the-match. I don't think there's any extra treatment in there. He's 100 per cent."
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