AS a teenager, Zac Santo would forensically analyse video footage of Cowboys icon Matt Bowen. Now Santo is ready to walk in the footsteps of a legend as North Queensland seek a contingency plan following star recruit Lachlan Coote's calamitous breakdown at the NRL Nines.

The battle for the Cowboys No.1 jumper Bowen made famous is now wide open, with Coote facing a minimum six-month recovery after undergoing a knee reconstruction yesterday.

But Coote's crushing setback has opened the door for Santo, a diminutive attacking whiz who has scored 49 tries for North Queensland's under-20s side in the past three years.

A local junior from Charters Towers, Santo was one of several young guns to star in the Cowboys' historic Nines triumph on Sunday night. The 20-year-old terrorised NRL rivals at Auckland's Eden Park with his pace and zip and says years of watching Bowen is the ideal indoctrination to solve North Queensland's fresh fullback dilemma.

News_Image_File: Zac Santo grew up watching videos of former Cowboy Matt Bowen play.

Humble and polite, Santo doesn't profess to be the next Bowen. But with first-choice custodian Coote in the casualty ward, the 85kg whippet believes he won't let the Cowboys down if handed an NRL baptism.

"I love playing fullback. It would be a dream come true to play there," Santo said.

"I would watch Matty (Bowen) before games, and I would even watch Youtube highlights just to see how he goes. Matty Bowen is the best.

"Lachlan has only just come back from injury so he just can't catch a break, but it does give me an opportunity in the worst of circumstances.

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"I can also play wing but I do like being at the back and having room to move around.

"The club has just signed Matty Wright, but if I get the opportunity at fullback, I will take it."

Aside from Wright, Cowboys rookies Javid Bowen, the nephew of Matt, and Kyle Feldt are also in the mix to replace Coote after both impressed in the nine-a-side format.

But Santo yesterday received a glowing endorsement from Coote, who believes the pint-sized speedster has the skill set to handle one of the toughest assignments in the NRL.

"I believe he can do it, hopefully Zac can step up and they give him a crack," Coote said.

"I'm not too sure what the coach is thinking but Zac has trained with us all pre-season.

News_Image_File: Zac Santo warms-up during a Cowboys training session.

"He has it all, the speed, the strength, so I guess it comes down to him individually."

Cowboys coach Paul Green said he would use this week's final trial against Gold Coast to settle on his new fullback.

"Zac is a young guy who has just come out of our under-20s, he's a really quick player and good in broken play so he's certainly in the mix," Green said.

"Javid Bowen is another guy who had a good (Nines) tournament. He's played a bit of fullback and we've signed Matt Wright so we'll look at it going into our trial against the Titans."