The minor premiers Melbourne Storm will head to Townsville to take on North Queensland in Round 26 with Craig Bellamy opting to rest 11 players for the clash.
Xavier Coates was scheduled to be named to return this week but remains out with Dean Ieremia and Sua Faalogo to start on the wings against the Cowboys.
The Queensland representative star hasn’t played since suffering a hamstring injury during his side’s Round 17 win over Canberra.
Xavier Coates remains sidelined for Storm
Coates, who has scored nine tries and provided six assists in 12 appearances in the NRL this year, has endured an injury-plagued campaign.
The winger played just 34 minutes against South Sydney in Round 8 before leaving the field with a hamstring complaint, before he then had to be helped from the field against the Raiders.
The hamstring injury saw him miss out on the State of Origin decider, which the Maroons went on to lose as New South Wales snapped their two-year losing streak in enemy territory.
With just two rounds remaining of the regular season, the Storm have already locked up first place. Yet they will be eager to give Coates a run with the finals looming large on the horizon.
A clash against the Brisbane Broncos in Round 27 now stands as the only possible game Coates could feature in before the finals kick off later in the month.
Bellamy’s side have had to do without a host of their main stars throughout the year so far, with Jarome Hughes the only constant fixture.
Ryan Papenhuzyen missed a large chunk of the season due to a foot injury, while Cameron Munster was ruled out for three months with a troublesome groin issue.
The Storm haven’t allowed these setbacks to halt their momentum though with the side winning 18 of their 22 matches to set up a home qualifying final.
