North Queensland Cowboys head coach Todd Payten has put his wingerย Murray Taulagi forth as a selection choice for the Queensland Maroons.

Moving into the Round 11 clash against the Melbourne Storm off the back of their fifth straight win, the Cowboys are in great form.

In their most recent match against the Wests Tigers, Taulagi starred with a stat line of two tries, two line breaks, two tackle breaks and 158 metres, although it was his one try assist that caught everyone's eye.

Taulagi downplayed the highlight after the match.

"I was lucky enough that Drinky [Scott Drinkwater] was there," Taulagi said.

"It was Magic Round and sometimes magic can happen.

"I run in opposed sessions against Connelly Lemulemu and he often tips me over the sidelines so I've been practicing that.

"It was a bit of luck, skill and hard work."

As he wasn't singing his own praises, it was Todd Payten's job to pick up the slack and hype him up. With Valentine Holmes guaranteed to slot into the Maroons team, Payten questioned why they wouldn't pair him with Taulagi.

"He is really starting to believe how good he can be," he said.

"He's at that sweet spot where he's starting to understand what the NRL is about.

"I don't think it's a stupid idea if they (Queensland) want to go for combinations. They've got a really good one together."

With teammate Kyle Feldt, Xavier Coates and Corey Oates all vying for a spot, it seems unlikely. Though the Cowboys sitting third after ten rounds sounded impossible after their round one loss to the Bulldogs.

The third-placed Cowboys face the second-placed Melbourne Storm this week. If Taulagi performs well in a victory, the Maroons might have to listen to Payten.

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