While the top three spots on this season’s NRL Ladder at the end of the 26 regular rounds will belong to the Storm, Sea Eagles and Dragons – not necessarily in that order – the battle for the final spot in the Top 4 has become an intriguing local showdown between Brisbane and North Queensland.

When champion Queensland Maroons play-maker Thurston suffered a nasty knee injury in the final quarter of this year’s monumental State of Origin decider, the series won for a sixth successive time by Queensland giving retiring captain Darren Lockyer the perfect goodbye, it was thought the Cowboys chances of a top four finish in the 2011 NRL Telstra Premiership had gone out the window.

North Queensland, however, have dug deep and won two of their three matches since JT’s sidelining.

In Round 18 they enjoyed a big upset win over the Knights 22 – 12 in Newcastle, but suffered a setback when going down 38 – 18 to the Tigers at Dairy Farmers Stadium the next week.

They bounced back last Saturday night, however, getting up 28 – 20 over the Titans and are now looking to go back-to-back in their Round 21 home game against the ninth-ranked Penrith Panthers.

Defeating the Gold Coast last week saw the Cowboys snare fourth spot from Brisbane, the Broncos dropping to fifth place thanks to their embarrassing 26 – 6 defeat to Premiership frontrunners Melbourne Storm.

Thurston lined up in a Cowboys training session for the first time since his injury on Wednesday and is hopeful of an August 12 return to take on Brisbane in front of a roaring home crowd at Dairy Farmer Stadium.

“It was a good feeling to be back out on the training paddock,” Thurston said.

“It has been a while since I had – it was like being a little kid again.

“It was nothing too strenuous but it (the knee) has pulled up alright.”

While originally given a recovery period of six weeks, JT’s rapid progress has him planning a return a week earlier than first scheduled.

“It was a pretty severe bone bruising that I had, that’s what is causing most of the pain,” he explained.

“If I look to push it and it starts hurting I will have to step back.

“When I start to intensify training sessions I will have a better idea of where it is at.”

Cowboys and Broncos are now tied on 28 competition points, four clear of the New Zealand Warriors who are currently in sixth spot with 24 points.

Tonight Brisbane will look to move towards a home game in the September semis by defeating the Cronulla Sharks at Suncorp Stadium.

It is a must-win for Brisbane to keep their top-four aspirations alive and with Cronulla captain Paul Gallen likely to take his spot in the Sharks squad, Broncos coach Anthony Griffin knows it won’t be an easy win by any means.

Gallen is suffering a niggling injury to his calf muscle, but is expected to play through the pain tonight setting up the first battle of the Origin skippers – Lockyer v Gallen – since the series finale at the start of the month.

“We haven’t got any word,” Griffin said in regards to whether Gallen was a definite starter or not.

“I just know he’s a real tough competitor and if he’s anywhere near close to playing, he’ll be playing.

“We’re preparing as if he’ll be playing.”

The Sharks had their purple patch of form well and truly torn to pieces when going down by big margins to the Dragons and then Newcastle in the past two weeks, but Griffin still expects them to bring their best to Brisbane.

“Cronulla are a very difficult side to play, they’re very strong in the forwards and they play a very physical and grinding game.

“You have to have a tough attitude to get into mix with them.

“They’re hard to shut down, they’ve got a lot of offloads in them and it’s going to be a really gruelling battle in the middle.”

Hodges, 29, missed the entire 2010 season after rupturing his Achilles tendon in a nasty pre-season training injury.

Resuming in the early rounds of this year’s NRL Telstra Premiership, Hodges re-injured himself in Round 10 when the Broncos went down 33 – 10 to the Penrith Panthers.

Suffering a grade-one hamstring tear in his right leg, Hodges was out for three club games and also missed out on representing the Queensland Maroons in the opening two State Of Origin test clashes.

He made a good recovery, however, and was there for the Maroons monumental sixth straight Origin series win in Game three which was also the final Origin match for Rugby League great Darren Lockyer.

Hodges is now looking forward to playing a part in the Broncos 2011 NRL finals berth, every man in the squad eager to do their best and go as far as they can to give Locky a fairytale farewell from the game.

After debuting for Brisbane in 2000, Hodges spent three years playing for the Sydney Roosters during which they won the 2002 NRL Premiership.

Returning home to the Broncos in 2005, Hodges enjoyed a second the second NRL Grand Final win of his career with Brisbane in 2006, the 22-capped Test star hopeful they can go all the way again this year.

The Broncos currently sit fifth on the NRL Ladder and although assured of a spot in the September-semis, are fighting for a Top 4 finish to lock in a home game during the finals at Suncorp Stadium.

In training this week leading up to Brisbane’s NRL Round 21 game against the Sharks on Friday night, Hodges was seen hoisting highballs all over the field, a great sign for him and the team.

Despite the noticeable improvement, Broncos coach Anthony Griffin is still wary that Hodges’ hamstring could breakdown again.

“He’s a lot better than he was a month ago, he’s a lot more confident,” Griffin said.

“Obviously every game he plays helps his confidence and there’s a little bit less risk with the injury with every minute he gets through.”

Keeping Hodges and his hammy in good form is essential for Brisbane to succeed at this crucial stage of the season, the known strike weapon bringing experience and points to every match he plays.

“Our medical staff work with him every week to help him deal with things but he’s going to be a week to week proposition,” Griffin said.

“If you remember he came back in round three against the Titans and it (tore) again in round eight or nine against Penrith.

“He was six weeks up last time and he’s four weeks up this time.

“What I’m saying is we’re never out of the woods with him, we just have to continue to manage him.

“He is a lot more confident and he is moving a lot better so those are positives.”

Captain Darren Lockyer was given the option of an extra day’s rest this week after taking a pounding during last week’s harsh 26 – 6 thrashing by the top-ranked Melbourne Storm.

Locky came off early from the game with his own minor hamstring “twinge”, but will be there on Friday night.

“He’s trained all week but he could have had the day off on Monday if he wanted to,” Griffin said.

“He didn’t want to, he wanted to train which is a good sign for us.”

Friday night’s home game against Cronulla is a must-win for Brisbane to snare fourth spot from fellow Queensland club the Cowboys, the two teams tied on 28 competition points.

North Queensland, who have battled on well without their injured skipper Johnathan Thurston in the weeks since the Origin decider, play the Panthers this Saturday night.

The Broncos v Sharks clash will also be Lockyer’s remarkable 348^th top-grade NRL game.

After the match, he will be just one-game away from equalling the NRL’s all-time record of 349 with Terry Lamb and Steve Menzies.

Cooper was at his scintillating best in the Reds 30-13 win over the Blues, and the fly half knows the final is not the time to go into his shell.

Cooper said that the Reds were at their best when they played free flowing enterprising rugby, and that would not change against the Crusaders.

“I don’t try and go away from it (my style) or play anything different to suit critics or other people wanting certain things. I just go out and do what I have to do for the team,” Cooper said.

“It’s exciting to some, but for us it’s just how we play. No changes will be made. That’s how we’ve played all year.

“Our mindset is always go out there and express ourselves and enjoy ourselves and come to win. Where better to do that than in front of 50,000 people in a massive back yard?”

Reds coach Ewen McKenzie also said that he would not be advising Cooper to reign in his flamboyant style.

“I don’t spend my time telling Quade ‘no’,” said McKenzie.

“Saying no to creative people is not a profitable way to coach. I figure you get more out of encouraging.”

Just two years ago Cooper was part of a Reds team that was languishing at the foot at the Super Rugby table.

They are now just 80 minutes away from being crowned the best rugby province in the southern hemisphere, and many put the transformation down to Cooper becoming one of the best attacking players in the world.

Former Wallabies hooker Rod Kafer is firmly of the opinion that Cooper is now the best attacking player in world rugby.

“There is only one player in the world who has that sought of ability,” Kafer said.

“Cooper is a player the likes of which I cannot recall seeing. He’s about the best I have seen in the attacking game.”

Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder knows the importance of shutting down Cooper.

“Quade Cooper is just sublime. He did things in the semi-final that were just unbelievable, but he’s been doing it every week,” Blackadder said.

“I just have to take my hat off to Cooper and Will Genia. The Reds have played brilliant rugby this year.”

It is the first time this season that Reds coach Ewen McKenzie has named the same 22 for back to back games.

“At this stage you benefit greatly from continuity and the team we selected against the Blues did a wonderful job and deserve another opportunity,” McKenzie said.

“We’ve benefitted from a whole squad effort in 2011 but we feel we have the right mix of experience and talent to be successful on Sunday night.

“Playing in a final is something you treasure and never take for granted, and I know the team is excited by the opportunity. We’ve accomplished a lot both on and off the field in the past 18 months and a Super Rugby final victory would be an incredible way to cap off the season for Queensland Rugby and our fans.”

The Reds may already have a leg up on their opponents after McKenzie revealed that his assistant coaches were so confident that the Crusaders would beat the Stormers that they spent time last week analysing the Canterbury, despite the fact they had not yet qualified for the final.

“I know (assistant coach) Jimmy McKay spent a lot of time on the Crusaders last week and I certainly did,” McKenzie said.

“We just felt that the team that the Crusaders had and their experience, and with the Stormers losing one or two of their players in the lead up that the Crusaders would be hard to beat.

“They (the Stormers) are very good defensively but probably not as well in attack. We felt the Crusaders were probably a lot better on both sides.”

McKay said that he had noticed some small flaws in the Crusaders game, but said the Reds would need to be right on their game if they are to stand any chance.

“There are a few weaknesses there, but it will be a case of us rolling up our sleeves, working really hard and us executing really well. So it’s not a case of changing drastically.

“They’re a team that put enormous pressure on you to try to turn the ball over, so we’ll have to be really, really strong in that area and if we are going to give them the ball back it has to be on our terms.”

The Reds defeated the Crusaders in their one and only meeting this year 17-16

The record crowd of 52,498 Queensland fans let out a collective moan in the 58^th minute of last night’s epic 2011 State of Origin decider, the Maroons’ securing their sixth straight series success with a 34-24 victory over New South Wales, when star No. 7 Johnathan Thurston suffered a horrific leg injury.

Attempting to make a tackle on Blues’ forward Anthony Watmough, the decorated Queensland halfback collided with fellow Maroon Ashley Harrison and was knocked to the ground.

Rolling around in pain, the famous headgear quickly came off, and the Queenslanders at Suncorp Stadium knew it was bad.

Taken off in the buggy to the cheers of the crowd, the close-up of JT’s face spoke of pain and the end of the season for the Cowboys co-captain.

On the slow-motion replay, the horrendous accident made even the most hardened men squirm.

Initially the detrimental nature of the injury looked to rule JT out of the season, with first fears being that he’d endured a torn anterior cruciate ligament that would have required reconstructive surgery.

After more extensive examinations by the Queensland medics, there looked to be hope last night that Thurston more likely suffered a grade-two medial ligament tear igniting optimism in the North Queensland club.

“Our medical staff are saying that it’s a media, grade two,” Queensland coach Mal Meninga said last night.

“I guess he’s got to go and have some scans.

“If that’s the case, he’s only out for four to six weeks.”

JT made it back out onto the field at the end of the Origin series, albeit in a wheelchair taking regular sucks on his painkilling inhaler, to help celebrate and recognise the fairytale finish to farewelling captain Darren Lockyer.

Thurston’s Cowboys co-skipper Matt Scott, one of the standouts of this year’s Origin series with his big runs up the middle, remains hopeful that JT will be back for the finals with the full extent of the injury to be learned today.

“It’s always hard to see a teammate get injured, especially him,” Scott said.

“He’s such an important part of our team.

“We can only just hope, for his sake, that it’s not too bad.”

With 15 wins during the NRL Telstra Premiership series so far this year, the Cowboys are sitting fourth on the Ladder behind Melbourne Storm, the Sea Eagles and St George Illawarra.

But with the Broncos and Knights hot on their heels, it could be out of the top four and possibly even the top six by the end of Round 18.

Brisbane have a bye and an automatic two points this week, while the Cowboys have a top-of-the-table clash with the Knights at Newcastle’s Ausgrid Stadium on Monday night.

Scott said this was not a time to panic, but a time for the rest of the Cowboys squad to pull together and ensure there was a finals berth for JT to return to should he be fit in time.

“Luckily enough the team’s in a pretty good position now,” he said.

“If we can do well without him for a few weeks hopefully he’ll be coming back at the right end of the year.

“He will be such a big boost coming back into the side at the back half of the year.”

Scott spoke with Thurston after last night’s game, the courageous Cowboy optimistic that Thursday’s test results would allay the worst-case scenario.

“He’s in pretty good spirits,” Scott said.

“He’s really good with his rehab, he’s a quick healer, so hopefully it’s best-case scenario.”

The win hands the Maroons their sixth straight origin series victory, and cements Lockyer’s place as one of the true origin greats.

Lockyer leaves the origin arena as the most capped origin player with 36.

“What a ride,” said Lockyer following the match.

“I’ve never been so nervous before a game. It’s such a great feeling and a great relief.

“These guys have been fantastic. I had a great time and it’s a nice way to finish.

“It has been a great journey. To the Queensland people, it’s been a privilege to play for you. I hope you enjoyed that.”

And enjoy it they did.

The Maroons were on the front foot early and after a glut of early possession Greg Inglis opened the scoring with a spectacular try in the corner. Sam Thaiday then found himself scoring thanks to a sublime inside pass from Billy Slater.

All through the week the Blues had put an emphasis on not giving Queensland a head start, however after just 25 minutes they were looking down the barrel 12-0 deficit.

In the first two games of the series the Blues had been able to work their way back into the match after conceding early points, but after Cameron Smith barged over from dummy half the match was as good as over.

When Anthony Minichello knocked and handed Jharal Yow Yeh a try, it looked like it could get embarrassing. But to the Blues credit they kept on trying and two quick tries before the break reduced the deficit to 14 points.

The second half started as an arm wrestle and the Blues were working their way back into the contest, but when Billy Slater finished off a vintage Maroons set play the series was in safe keeping.

Greg Inglis scored in the 69^th minute to equal the state of origin try scoring record held by Dale Shearer and the Queensland crowd went into raptures.

New South Wales added some respectability to the score line with two tries in the last ten minutes, including an eight point try to Jarryd Hayne, but the damage had been done.

Following the match, Mal Meninga, who joins Phil Gould as the most successful coach in origin history, paid tribute to his players.

“What a great moment, that’s the way greats should retire,” Meninga said.

“Darren’s a happy man and I’m happy for him. It’s a magnificent team. Words can’t describe it.

“New South Wales are a dangerous side and they came back at us like we knew they would and we just did enough to win the series.”

Following the match Blues coach Ricky Stuart said that he was hopeful that NSW would soon break Queensland’s amazing run.

“This team has found a way to beat Queensland,” Stuart said.

“We rattled their cage, but they bounced back extremely well. They came out and they played better than us, and they deserve the credit. These boys have done some monumental things in regard to state of origin for NSW.

“It’s been difficult over the last four or five years, it’s been real hard. But we had Queensland nervous. I’m not trying to discredit what they’ve done. But at the start of the series we were in five-dot and they were dominant. I think these boys have pulled back a lot of respect for their state. I think they’ve done an enormous job through their energy and attitude for origin football and NSW.”

Blues skipper Paul Gallen said that while the Blues would be better next year for the experience, it didn’t take away from the fact that they were staring at their sixth straight series loss.

“It’s pretty shattering,” Gallen said.

“We came here really confident but we learned what origin football was about again. We thought we had a good chance but we gave them a head start and they got too far in front.

“We knew we could come back but a few calls went against us and we didn’t respond to it.

“In the end they deserved to win by more than ten points.”

The only down side for the Maroons was a sickening knee injury suffered by Johnathan Thurston in the second half.

Thurston went down after a collision with team mate Ashley Harrison, and it was originally feared he had injured his ACL, which would have ruled him out for up to a year.

However after the game Maroons officials were confident that the injury was not as severe as originally thought.

“Our medical staff are saying it’s a medial, grade two. If that’s the case, he’s only out for 4-6 weeks,” said Queensland coach Mal Meninga.

Thurston is the only player to have played every game in Queensland’s six consecutive series wins. In fact, with 21 straight origin matches under his belt, Thurston is closing in on Gary Larson’s record of 24 straight origins.

Cameron Smith capped of an excellent series by being named both man of the match and man of the series.

On Wednesday, Maroon’s skipper and long-serving Broncos champ Lockyer will play the final State of Origin game of his decorated career and while the Suncorp Stadium decider will be played in front of a sell-out crowd there for his farewell, there have been plenty of rumours suggesting Civoniceva too will be donning the Queensland jersey for the final time.

With relentless recent speculation on the 35-year-old’s playing future, Civoniceva is being tipped to bow out of Origin in the same style as the immortal Maroon Wally Lewis, who announced his retirement from Origin just minutes before his 1991 farewell.

But Civoniceva said he is tiering of the retirement rumours and that he wasn’t giving away his rep footy career just yet.

“I am sick of them (the rumours), to be honest,” Civoniceva said on Monday from the Maroons camp at Coolum.

Current captain of the Penrith Panthers, prop forward Civoniceva holds the record for having appeared in the most international matches for any Aussie forward in history, and is a former Broncos player having spent many years on the field with Locky at club level as well as in the Origin and Test arenas.

Pulling on the Maroon No. 10 on Wednesday night, Petero will play his 30^th game for Queensland in possibly the most sensational State of Origin showdown in history, Queensland vying for a record sixth straight series win.

Civoniceva said any retirement plans from Origin were all just conjecture.

“I said from the start of the season it would depend on how the body was holding up,” he said.

“For me the fire in the belly is still there.

“Maybe at 30 I thought the fire may have been extinguished by now, but I still feel I want to be a part of this and there’s still no better feeling than being in an Origin camp.

“I know the finish-line is fast approaching.

“But if the signs were there that my knee was going or the back was playing up, I’d have to make a call.

“But at the moment everything is OK.”

Putting in a performance of a man 10 years his junior, big Petero was one of the instrumental forces and stand-out players in the opening State of Origin game this year when Queensland enjoyed a 16 -12 win over New South Wales in May.

For the second State v State showdown, Civoniceva was a little quieter, but then again, so were all the Queenslanders visiting Sydney as the Maroons lost to a determined Blues outfit 18 – 8 in Game II, which set up Wednesday’s highly-spruiked finale.

“We were all disappointed (with the Game 2 loss) but as a pack we didn’t stamp our authority like we did in game one,” Civoniceva said.

“I guess that was down to a really grinding start.

“I think what we’re best at is playing explosive footy.”

Although the fire and desire is still burning for Civoniceva, the ageing warhorse didn’t extinguish retirement rumours completely admitting that if he continued to play next season he may not be good enough for selection in the 2012 State of Origin Queensland squad.

“It’s crossed my mind and it’s a risk I have to take, I’m aware of that,” he said.

“Sometimes selectors have to build a team for the future so if I’m not there, I’ve been very lucky with the experiences I’ve had playing rep football.

“I’ve been very blessed by the opportunities rep football has given me.

“If it ends because I don’t get selected, that’s life, you just get on with it.

“There’s a lot of improvement in this team, especially on our last performance.

“The thing in the back of our minds is we’ve got to find that improvement if we’re going to send Locky away the way he deserves.”

Although the Ricky Stuart-coached Blues have given Queensland every reason to be worried ahead of Wednesday night, Civoniceva said that on home turf the boys weren’t concerned that Locky wouldn’t be farewelled with a fairy tale result.

“There’s no fear there, what happens, happens,” he said.

“Our preparations and focus have been really good and that’s what Locky has wanted right from the start of the series and if we do that we have a chance of getting the result we want.”

There are also fears for the future of the Queensland Origin club if Civoniceva joins Lockyer in retirement at the end of this series, the Canetoads losing their two most-capped players.

If this does eventuate, Civoniceva tipped Cowboys star Johnathan Thurston ‘JT’ as the man to step up and take on more responsibility.

“We’ve seen JT take on a lot more of a leadership role recently but obviously it’s going to be a huge loss when Locky retires,” he said.

“To have players of the calibre of JT and obviously Cameron Smith (likely to fill the boots as Queensland captain in Lockyer’s absence), those two guys are going to be the cornerstone and leaders of this Queensland team for years to come.”

The Reds defeated the Auckland Blues 30-13, while the Crusaders proved too strong for the Stormers in South Africa 29-10.

The match is being billed as the battle of the five – eighths. Quade Cooper has just about become the premier player in Australian rugby in the last few years, lifting the Reds along the way, while Dan Carter has been the benchmark for five-eighths for the best part of a decade.

Cooper was electric in the semi-final against the Blues, playing a part in all of the Reds’ tries. It is Cooper’s risk taking and extravagant play that has endeared him to so many fans.

After the win over the Blues, Reds coach Ewen McKenzie was full of praise for his star play maker.

“I’m not going to take a lot of coaching credit for some of it. It was just pure Quade. There was some brilliance there,” he said.

“He was everywhere in the game. The bigger the stage, the more he likes it.”

Rod Davies became the first Reds player to ever score a hat trick of tries in a Super Rugby match, and he put his effort down to the brilliance of Cooper.

“I was just running off Quade. He’s in an unbelievable patch of form. To be running off a guy like that is unbelievable and I really have benefited from it in my game,” Davies said.

“He’s unreal he can do everything. And he’s just so relaxed. It’s a pleasure to run off him and train with him, because he’s always teaching you different things. I’ve just been blessed to have been in a team with him.”

Asides from the form of Cooper, Reds coach Ewen McKenzie will be most pleased with the fact that all of the players who featured in the semi-final pulled up fine and will be available for the final.

Radike Samo was replaced just before half time in the semi-final, however McKenzie has confirmed that the big number 8 has been cleared to play. The only player that did not play in the semi who is a chance to come back is winger Luke Morahan who has recovered from a hamstring injury.

McKenzie said that he was not surprised to be meeting the Crusaders, who have won the Super Rugby crown seven times, in the grand final.

“They are big game performers and I thought they played a brilliant game,” said McKenzie when asked about the Crusaders.

“They’ve timed their run perfectly and it will make for a great occasion.

“I’ve made the point all along that the teams that get to the end are the teams that can attack and defend well – the Crusaders are one team and I think we’ve shown that as well.”

One area where the Crusaders definitely win the battle of the five-eighths is in the goal kicking department. Cater landed seven from nine against the Stormers, while Cooper could only manage three from seven.

The Crusaders will be playing in their tenth Super Rugby Final and their 10^th consecutive finals series.

The Reds on the other hand qualified for the finals for the first time in decade this year, and will be appearing in the first Super Rugby final since 1995.

Holmes has played most of his football off the bench this season, however Reds coach Ewen McKenzie has opted for the 28 year old over Guy Shepherdson, to replace the injured James Slipper.

McKenzie said that he was not fazed by the fact that Holmes would be playing at loosehead prop when most of his super rugby experience had come at tighthead.

“He’s played very well for us, so he’s been putting a lot of pressure on for playing time. We’re giving him that,” McKenzie said.

“The occasion is not going to worry him. He’ll be very pleased to get out there and start a game and show what he’s got.

“I don’t think he’s a spent force in Australian rugby by any stretch and he’s proving that week in week out as an impact player. If you were 28 in South Africa of France you’d just be starting your career.”

Holmes is one of five changes to the Reds side that won its last match of the regular season against the Chiefs.

Digby Ioane and Anthony Faingaa come straight back into the Reds Backline, while flanker Beau Robinson and Radike Samo join Holmes in the pack.

“We’ve been extremely impressed with the way our squad has handled the absence of some our regulars, but you need strike power and experience to win big games and we have that returning in spades on Saturday night.” McKenzie said.

“There’s no question it is the strongest team we’ve got available. We’ve obviously got some good players still injured, but that’s just the nature of the beast.”

Saturday night will be the first time that the Reds have hosted a finals match in Super Rugby since they went down to the Crusaders in 1999. They have not featured in a playoff match anywhere since 2001.

The Blues will finalise their squad on Thursday night.

The winner of the Reds VS Blues clash will play the winner of the Stormers VS Crusaders match in the Super 15 Final.

Queensland Reds Line Up

15. Jono Lance

14. Rod Davies

13. Anthony Faingaa

12. Ben Tapuai

11. Digby Ioane

10. Quade Cooper

9. Will Genia

8. Radike Samo

7. Beau Robinson

6. Scott Higginbotham

5. James Horwill (Captain)

4. Rob Simmons

3. Greg Holmes

2. Saia Faingaa

1. Ben Daley

Reserves

16. James Hanson

17. Guy Shepherdson

18. Adam Wallace – Harrison

19. Jake Schatz

20. Liam Gill

21. Ian Prior

22. Will Chambers

Vying for an unprecedented sixth successive Origin series win on July 6 at Suncrop Stadium, the all-powerful Queensland Canetoads could be without one of their key players for the Darren Lockyer Origin farewell clash.

It has been a fairytale season for the young Brisbane star Yow Yeh who made both his Australian International and Queensland Origin debuts this year.

Donning the mighty Maroons jersey for the first time in the opening State of Origin game last month, Yow Yeh made an instant impression scoring one of Queensland’s treble of tries that saw them beat the Blues 16 – 12.

He was also there in Game II for the Maroons upset loss to a determined Blues outfit 18 – 8, which has set up the monumental decider in the third and final State v State, Mate v Mate battle.

Having been named as part of Queensland’s 18-man Game 3 squad on Tuesday, there are growing doubts that Yow Yeh will be fit enough for the testing tournament.

Yow Yeh came down with tonsillitis at the start of last week, and since then has lost six kilos.

“We call him James now, he’s Jharal’s little brother,” Meninga said in regards to the big weight loss suffered by the Indigenous All Star.

The illness saw Yow Yeh stay in Brisbane for Round 17, unable to travel to Perth where the Broncos eventually went down 16 – 12 to the Rabbitohs in a mud-bath of a match.

Now there are further concerns, as expressed from Meninga, that Yow Yeh will be ruled out of the State of Origin Game 3 decider.

“Jharal has got to be careful,” Mengina said.

“We’ll see how he travels.”

Queensland medic Dr Roy Saunders has told Yow Yeh he must do everything he can to regain his illness-lost weight and get back up to his ideal playing mass of 96kg before being cleared.

“I’ve talked to the doc and he told me to eat as much food as I can and get my weight back up,” Yow Yeh said.

“I’ve just got to take training a bit easy this week because I haven’t done anything; I haven’t moved.

“It took me a while to get my weight up in the off-season and after all that hard work, to lose it all in a week, was a bit annoying.”

Known for his attacking prowess down the side of the field, Yow Yeh’s speed and acrobatic ability to score fast and oftentimes freakish tries make him one of the best in the business.

“I might be quicker being 6kg lighter, but I might get smashed more as well,” he said.

Menigna named an extended five-man bench in his Queensland Game III squad, with Melbourne centre Dane Nielsen tipped to be pushed out of the line-up and made the 18^th man with the return of Justin Hodges.

With Yow Yeh in doubt, however, there is now a chance that Nielsen will be the one to fill his spot as the Queensland No. 5.

“I’m not sure what’s happening with Dane,” Yow Yeh commented.

“Obviously it’s up to Mal whoever is in the side.”

Meninga confirmed that Nielsen was being considered for the job.

“We don’t know how this week is going to pan out,” he said.

“Dane might get his opportunity.”

Yow Yeh was not as impressive for the second State of Origin showdown and is reportedly desperate to atone for his defensive calamities from that match which saw New South Welshmen Will Hopoate and Luke Lewis score tries down his side of the field and that came under fire from Meninga.

“I’ve worked hard on those things to make sure I make the decisions that have to be made at the time,” Yow Yeh said.

“All the boys and Mal have faith in me and that’s why I’m in the team.

“This will be the biggest game of my career and hopefully there will be a lot more like it because I know I’m going to go out there and enjoy the Queensland crowd.

“A lot of things are going to be riding on this game.

“It’s going to be like a blur.”