Payten confirms star forward is set for early return from injury

In what is some great news to North Queensland Cowboys fans, Thomas Mikaele is set to return early from an MCL injury sustained during Round 1 in Las Vegas.

It was originally reported he would miss six weeks following the injury; however, it has been fast-tracked to two to three weeks as he rehabs his knee.

The interchange forward is now set to return against the Melbourne Storm at Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Round 4.

Mikaele is an important cog in the Cowboys' forward pack, with coach Todd Payten revealing the good news earlier in the week.

"We've got some positive news, Payten told Cowboys media.

"Initially, he was looking at a six-week layoff; he had something similar last year and only missed the three games, so we're aiming for the Storm, which is good news.

"He's worked really hard, he's a really important piece to our puzzle, he's shown that in the preseason."

It opens the door for the other squad members to step up in Mikaele's absence and give Payten a positive selection headache when he is set to return. 

"While he's gonna be missed, there's an opportunity for a couple of our guys," Payten shared.

"I guess with the new rules changes, we've got some flexibility, we'll take a six-man bench into the game.

"Spoke to our team about this, players and humans like some clarity, but we can't really give it to them at the moment."

Kaiden Lahrs may be the man to step up and take advantage of his opportunities after being named on the extended bench for this weekend's clash against the Wests Tigers.

Although due to the new six-man bench rule taking shape in 2026, there are plenty of options and flexibility for Payten depending on how the game unfolds.

"The rotation will depend on game context, score, where we sit, and game flow. So it might mean some guys miss out, some guys get an opportunity," he said.

"Everyone just needs to be ready, and that's not always easy, but it's the way forward, and it's what we've got to deal with now as coaches and players, and it's gonna be a challenge."

The Cowboys travel to Leichhardt to face the Wests Tigers on Saturday afternoon.