North Queensland Cowboys head coach Todd Payten has confirmed Griffin Neame should be fit to take on the Penrith Panthers in Round 5 of the 2025 NRL season.
Neame seemed to be hampered by a hamstring injury during the second half of the Cowboys home win over the Canberra Raiders on Saturday evening in Townsville.
After a 35-minute stint, he came from the field and didn't return, with Payten telling club media on Tuesday that it was 'precautionary'.
"He has to train today, so it's precautionary. We didn't put him back on because it tightened up. We will see how he runs today, but we are expecting him to be fine and we will go from there,' Payten said before naming his team list for the game against the Panthers.
Round 5 team lists
Round 5 rapid fire
Neame being named to play this weekend means coach Payten could name the same 22-man squad who took on the Raiders, and he said it was 'nice'.
"It's always nice. It means everyone is fit and healthy and played well," Payten said.
The win over the Raiders was the Cowboys' first for the year, easing the pressure on Payten who is at the top of most lists when it comes to which NRL coach might be under the most scrutiny for their job.
A 0-3 start to the year following last year's finals appearance was a shaky start for the club, but it was the nature of the first two losses - conceding 42 points at the hands of the Cowboys and 36 at the hands of the Sharks - which raised eyebrows over Payten and his side.
