Matt Scott doesn’t deserve Grand Final berth

North Queensland co-captain Matthew Scott has been declared fit for Sunday's Grand Final, the only problem is he doesn't deserve to play.

Scott tore his ACL in the Round 2 match against the Brisbane Broncos, his season seemingly ended just two games in. But six months later, the Maroon's veteran appears certain for a shock comeback on the game's biggest stage.

But with Cowboy's fighting tooth and nail to go from the NRL Final's easy beats to serious contenders, each player in the side's seventeen deserve their spot on Grand Final day.

You've got rep stars James Taumalolo, Coen Hess and Gavin Cooper as certainties to play on Sunday. Ethan Lowe kicks goals as good as Thurston these days. Shaun Fensom, John Asiata and Scott Bolton have been absolute workhorses in that middle third, laying a platform against some of the competition's best forward packs during the Finals. And then there's Corey Jensen, the Townsville junior who's fought his way through the ranks to play 16 games in his debut season.

Jensen appears the most likely to miss out on the side, but he doesn't deserve to. Coming off the bench in all but one of his 16 NRL games, Jensen makes an average 70 metres and 15 tackles in his limited time on the field. Scott is a down and out superstar of the game, but to have to cut a Townsville junior from the side for his inclusion would be the toughest call of Paul Green's coaching career.

Scott would not only lay a platform for his team but provide invaluable experience for a young squad. Having won World Cups, several State of Origin series as well as lifting the NRL Premiership trophy just two years ago, Scott knows what it takes to win.

Fensom has never played in an NRL Grand Final despite debuting eight years ago. While he captained the Canberra Raiders Holden Cup side to a maiden 2008 premiership, the lock turned prop has only featured in 4 NRL Finals games before this year, doubling his tally if he runs out on Sunday night.

Hess, along with Rabbitohs star Angus Crichton, has been one of the breakout stars of the season, his form demanding a grand final appearance. Bolton is the unheralded hard man every team needs. Asiata is a halfback in a props body. Each and every one of them are such unique players with their own backstory, and their own reason to take on Melbourne.

Matt Scott is just as good, even better, then some of the mentioned forwards, but he doesn't deserve it. The young Cowboy's forwards have earned their right to play, and Paul Green needs to accept that Scott's deserved this place this Sunday night is next to him in the coach's box.