Taumalolo’s Cowboys return placed on ice for an additional week

North Queensland’s wretched Sydney keep has taken one other hit with Jason Taumalolo dominated out of the conflict with Parramatta.

Taumalolo had hoped to return from knee surgical procedure for the Cowboys in opposition to the Eels at CommBank Stadium on Friday evening, however membership officers have now opted to push that return again.

Taumalolo’s return would have been an enormous enhance for the membership after final Saturday’s 66-18 drubbing from Wests Tigers, however the Cowboys now count on him to return in opposition to Melbourne on June 4.

“He hasn’t come up proper to play this week,” Cowboys coach Todd Payten stated.

“He’s a particular for subsequent week, assuming issues do not go catastrophically fallacious within the subsequent eight days.”

Taumalolo’s absence comes with the Cowboys additionally with out Reuben Cotter from their pack by way of Queensland State of Origin choice.

Centre Valentine Holmes, winger Murray Taulagi and five-eighth Tom Dearden will even be lacking in opposition to an Eels facet minus Junior Paulo resulting from Origin.

Payten insists debutant centre Zac Laybutt and winger Robert Derby can be as much as the duty, with the coach notably backing the highly effective carries of the latter.

The Cowboys coach took gamers again to the scene of their capitulation for Thursday’s captain’s run, finalising their sport preparation at Leichhardt Oval.

That was extra for logistical causes than tactical ones after spending the week in Sydney, however Payten does need it to evoke a response from his crew.

“I hope the gamers felt like I did strolling again within the place,” he stated.

“There may be nowhere to cover in rugby league. Between social media, media protection and even simply wanting within the mirror.

“Everybody is de facto dissatisfied. At totally different phases within the sport it felt like quicksand. The tougher we tried, the tougher it received.

“It has been a troublesome couple of days early on. We’ve moved previous it as a crew now.”

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