With only a couple #KiwiNRL lads at North Queensland Cowboys, the Cowboys focus more on quality over quantity. Quality is there in Jason Taumalolo, who has bee simmering away for a few seasons and then hit boiling point with a tremendous 2016 NRL season in which he not only wont the Dally M award but also the Players Champion award which saw his peers appreciate his work. 

There'll be further opportunity for Taumalolo to reach greater heights this season as it's hard to see opposition teams coming up with a great plan to slow him down. Second year syndrome is real and tends to come as teams focus more on squashing the strengths of a player. The same theory will apply here as teams will be reviewing footage of Taumalolo bursting on to the footy and leaving players in his dust around the ruck area, although Taumalolo will still be running hard and fast this season.

Antonio Winterstein will hold down a wing spot again and the Samoan international will roll through his under-appreciated work without fuss. We still don't know if Kalyn Ponga will go down the Kangaroos or Kiwis route, until he decides we will accept him in #KiwiNRL yarns and there's a fair chance that Ponga settles on the other wing this season.

The Cowboys have Kyle Feldt who joins Winterstein as the starting wingers ranked ahead of Ponga. Gideon Mosby-Gela will go close to getting a chance this year and he's a young gun that people aren't really speaking about, which could mean that an opportunity could be given to Mosby-Gela instead of Ponga with Ponga leaving at the end of the season. The Cowboys have depth and if they decide not to play Ponga, they'll be alright with their other options.

There will be plenty of noise about Ponga, don't let that distract you from a low key #KiwiNRL forward who could benefit from James Tamou's departure and Ben Hannant's retirement.

Braden Uele has stepped up from the Cowboys' Under 20s team to reserve grade and with two of the Cowboys middle forward gone, Uele is a genuine option to come off the bench.
Matt Scott will start and Scott Bolton could join him, while Taumalolo starts at lock. A bench with Uele on it could also feature John Asiata, Coen Hess and Patrick Kaufusi or utility Ben Hampton.

Jason Taumalolo could play bigger minutes this season, meaning more metres!

Antonio Winterstein is the prototype winger; good on the park and doesn't demand big cash.

Kalyn Ponga may not play this season. Dramatic, just be prepared.

Braden Uele will make his NRL debut and show us that he's yet another super solid kiwi forward.