Qld Teams - Broncos Hunt new halfback

The Brisbane Broncos have named 20-year-old rookie Ben Hunt at halfback for Friday night’s match against the Bulldogs in Sydney.

Hunt, no relation to departed fullback Karmichael, debuted last season in an Origin-affected loss to Cronulla and has four NRL matches to his name.

After spending the last two seasons starring in the Under 20’s competition, Hunt has spent most of 2010 in the Queensland Cup with the Rockhampton-based Central Comets team.

This year Hunt played two NRL games off the bench for the Broncos in the heavy losses to the Roosters and Dragons in Rounds Four and Five.

Having spent those two appearances mainly on dummy-half duties, Hunt now gets his shot at his more preferred halfback position.

He comes in for the injured Peter Wallace who faces a four-to-six week stint on the sideline with a knee injury suffered in the 44-16 win over Cronulla on the weekend.

Utility forward Matt Gillett suffered the same injury as Wallace, a medial tear, and will join the former New South Wales halfback on the casualty list.

Ben Te’o replaces Gillett in the centres for the key match against Canterbury at ANZ Stadium.

Alex Glenn moves into the back row after lock Corey Parker made a successful early recovery from his knee injury against the Sharks.

Exciting prospect Corey Norman returns to a five man bench after a week in the Under 20’s while Steve Michaels, who has spent all year with Wynnum-Manly in the Queensland Cup, could play his first NRL game of the season.

Prop Nick Kenny was a late omission for the Sharks game after tearing a calf muscle at training on Saturday.

He faces another three weeks out of the game but the Broncos are expected to have the services of former Cowboys prop Shane Tronc in the near future.

Tronc signed with English Super League club Wakefield for this season but he and his family struggled to settle in to the new lifestyle.

Having played for Wakefield on Sunday, Tronc was expected to arrive in Brisbane this week but those plans may be delayed following air traffic closure across Europe.

When he does arrive in Brisbane Tronc will play the rest of the season with the Broncos.

Mason to start

The Cowboys controversial off-season signing Willie Mason has been named in the second row for the first time this year.

Although he eventually started against the Dragons in Round Three, Mason has spent the other five matches cooling his heels on the interchange bench for the opening 20 minutes or so.

Mason was one of the Cowboys best in their disappointing 36-18 loss against Newcastle and wins his first starting jersey for the important home match with Parramatta on Friday night.

Carl Webb, who moved from 18th man to starting in the back rower against the Knights, joins Mason in the run-on team for the Eels match.

Prop Antonio Kaufusi, interchange forward Manase Manuokafoa and backs Will Tupou and Ty Williams drop out of the squad.

The Cowboys were terrible in the first half against Newcastle as they slumped to a 30-6 deficit at halftime.

On the back of Mason, Webb and hooker Anthony Watts the team rallied to send a second half fright through the opposition.

North Queensland, still without Johnathan Thurston, Aaron Payne, Luke O’Donnell and Matt Bowen, are in desperate need of a victory over Parramatta.

Ash Graham played in the halves against the Knights but moves to his more accustomed centre position this weekend.

Winger Michael Bani and five-eighth Grant Rovelli, who was cut from the squad last week, have been named to make their returns after spending the past few weeks in the Queensland Cup.

Forwards Steve Southern and Isaak Ah Mau are also set for a recall while 20-year-old back rower and the Cowboys 2009 Toyota Cup Player of the Year Dane Hogan could make his debut from the five man bench.

Prop Matt Scott will again captain the side.

The match kicks-off at 7:30pm in Townsville and will be televised on Channel Nine following the live broadcast of the Broncos match.

Toopi returns

Former New Zealand centre Clinton Toopi will play his first NRL game in four years when he debuts for the Titans at Brookvale Oval against Manly on Monday night.

Toopi, a veteran of 129 NRL games for the Warriors and 22 Tests for New Zealand, left the NRL midway through the 2006 season to join Leeds in the English Super League.

He spent last year playing rugby union in New Zealand before joining the Titans on a trial basis in the 2010 pre-season.

Toopi’s NRL return comes at the expense of fellow veteran Mat Rogers, who faces up to 12 weeks sidelined with a medial ligament tear in his knee suffered in the 19-6 loss to the Dragons.

In the only other change to the squad winger Jordan Atkins has been named on a five man bench.

Atkins, who exploded onto the NRL scene with a four try debut against the Cowboys in Round One 2008, has been hindered by a knee injury so far this season.

The Titans will be looking to bounce back from a flat performance against the table-topping St George-Illawarra side on Friday night.

They are currently in the middle of a ten day turnaround before facing an in-form Manly side on Monday night.

The Sea Eagles have won four in a row including a determined 18-16 win over the Storm in Melbourne last night.

That result came ten days after the Titans defeated Melbourne 20-16 at Skilled Park.

With the Manly match happening Monday night Titans halfback Scott Prince could be a possible late inclusion since four weeks would have passed since he broke his thumb in Round Three.

The game will kick-off live on Fox Sports at 7pm Monday.

Channel Nine will have the Broncos game live Friday night and a replay of the Cowboys match will follow.

Brisbane Broncos vs. Bulldogs, Friday 7:35pm, (Channel Nine, live)
Josh Hoffman, Antonio Winterstein, Ben Te’o, Israel Folau, Jharal Yow Yeh, Darren Lockyer (c), Ben Hunt, Dunamis Lui, Andrew McCullough, Mitchell Dodds, Alex Glenn, Sam Thaiday, Corey Parker. Interchange: Lagi Setu, Scott Anderson, Corey Norman, Gerard Beale, Steve Michaels (one to be omitted).

North Queensland Cowboys vs. Eels, Friday 7:30pm, (Channel Nine, delayed 9:20pm)
Shannon Gallant, John Williams, Ashley Graham, Willie Tonga, Michael Bani, Grant Rovelli, Ray Thompson, Matt Scott (c), Anthony Watts, Carl Webb, Scott Bolton, Willie Mason, Steve Rapira. Interchange: Clint Amos, Steve Southern, Isaak Ah Mau, James Tamou, Dane Hogan (one to be omitted).

Gold Coast Titans vs. Manly, Monday 7pm, (Fox Sports, live)
William Zillman, Kevin Gordon, Clinton Toopi, Joseph Tomane, David Mead, Greg Bird, Preston Campbell, Luke Bailey (c), Nathan Friend, Brad Meyers, Anthony Laffranchi, Mark Minichiello, Ashley Harrison. Interchange: Matthew White, Michael Henderson, Sam Tagataese, Jordan Atkins, Will Matthews (one to be omitted).