LIFE doesn’t get any easier for Johnathan Thurston and the Cowboys with confirmation Kalyn Ponga will return from his hamstring injury to face his former club.

The Knights superstar missed Origin III and two NRL fixtures after succumbing to the injury against the Bulldogs in round 16.

Round 20

In revealing that Ponga will be named to turn out in Townsville, Nathan Brown admitted his fullback could’ve played against the Titans on Saturday.

“He probably could have played at a push this week,” Brown told the Nine Network’s Sunday Footy Show.

LIVE Stream every game of every round of the 2018 NRL Telstra Premiership on FOX SPORTS. SIGN UP NOW.

“He did a real tough session at the captain’s run and got through that good.

“They’re expecting that he’ll play.”

Brown was pleased with the effort of Ponga’s replacement Nick Meaney but Ponga’s freakish talent has been compared to a young Darren Lockyer by the coach.

“We thought he was really special,” Brown said.

“When I first got told to watch him play I thought what I thought when I first watched Darren Lockyer play, that’s what my initial feeling was.

“What I wasn’t aware of was his ability to beat people and put people in space.

“Because the Cowboys played more second-man type of stuff, which worked very well for the Cowboys.

“It wasn’t until he came to training and was doing what he was doing at training that we thought ‘holy s***’ this bloke is really something else.”

Wayne Bennett, meanwhile, has thrown huge doubt over the 2018 return of international back-rower Matt Gillett.

“I probably feel he probably won’t play this year somehow. Something is telling me that,” Bennett said.

“It is two weeks before he gets another scan, and that will be four weeks before the end of the season virtually.”

Read on for the full Round 19 injury list and every club’s casualty ward.

LIVE Stream every game of every round of the 2018 NRL Telstra Premiership on FOX SPORTS. SIGN UP NOW.

INJURED IN ROUND 19

Chris Heighington — finger — TBC

AJ Brimson — concussion — TBC

Blake Green — hip — Round 20

Clay Priest — elbow — TBC

Jamayne Isaako — leg — TBC

Jarome Luai — syndesmosis — TBC

Wade Graham — groin — TBC

Luke Garner — concussion — Round 20

Robbie Farah — concussion — TBC

FULL NRL CASUALTY WARD

BRONCOS

Jamayne Isaako — leg — TBC

Matt Gillett — neck, calf — TBC

Andre Savelio — ACL — season

Payne Haas — Shoulder — season

Jack Bird — sternum — indefinite

Jaydn Su’a — ankle — TBC

RAIDERS

Ata Hingano — ankle — season

Shannon Boyd — calf — Round 20

Joe Tapine — suspension — Round 20

Jarrod Croker — knee — season

Aidan Sezer — hamstring — Round 21-22

BULLDOGS

Kieran Foran — toe — season

Raymond Faitala-Mariner — broken hand, PCL — season

Marcelo Montoya — hamstring — season

SHARKS

Wade Graham — groin — TBC

Josh Dugan — leg — Round 20

Luke Lewis — calf tear — Round 20

Jack Williams — pectoral tear — season

Kurt Capewell — thumb — Round 25

TITANS

AJ Brimson — concussion — TBC

Daly Copley — hamstring — season

Max King — dislocated shoulder — season

SEA EAGLES

Lewis Brown — shoulder — Round 19

Jack Gosiewski — broken arm — Round 20

Api Koroisau — foot — Round 22

Dylan Walker — knee — TBC

Curtis Sironen — knee — season

Lachlan Croker — knee — season

Akuila Uate — syndesmosis — season

STORM

Dale Finucane — thumb — Round 19

Sam Kasiano — knee — Round 25

Cameron Munster — finger — Round 19

Will Chambers — knee — Round 19

Josh Addo-Carr — ankle — Round 19

Christian Welch — concussion — Round 19

KNIGHTS

Chris Heighington — finger — TBC

Sione Mata’utia — eye socket — Round 21-22

Kalyn Ponga — hamstring — Round 20

Jacob Saifiti — shoulder — Round 24

Slade Griffin — knee — season

Tautau Moga — knee — season

COWBOYS

Matt Scott — neck — Round 19

Carlin Anderson — finger — Round 23

Josh Chudleigh — knee — season

Michael Morgan — biceps tear — season

Sam Hoare — knee — season

Jordan McLean — foot — indefinite

EELS

Josh Hoffman — shoulder — season

Will Smith — hamstring — Round 21

Ray Stone — knee — Round 21

Manu Ma’u — cheekbone — season

Tony Williams — ACL — season

Beau Scott — ACL — season

Cameron King — knee — Round 24

PANTHERS

Jarome Luai — syndesmosis — TBC

Reagan Campbell-Gillard — broken jaw — Round 21-22

Dallin Watene-Zelezniak — hamstring — Round 20

Sam McKendry — knee — season

Dylan Edwards — shoulder — season

Peter Wallace — shoulder — retired

Tim Browne — ruptured bowel — retired

RABBITOHS

Richie Kennar — foot — Round 19

Greg Inglis — broken thumb — Round 20-22

DRAGONS

Jacob Host — shoulder — indefinite

Nene Macdonald — foot — TBC

ROOSTERS

Dylan Napa — knee — Round 19

Boyd Cordner — rested — Round 19

Bernard Lewis — ACL — season

WARRIORS

Leivaha Pulu — ankle — Round 20

Bunty Afoa — elbow — Round 22

Tohu Harris — knee — Round 20-22

Nathaniel Roache — back — season

Ken Maumalo — knee — indefinite

Blake Green — ribs — Round 20

WESTS TIGERS

Mahe Fonua — broken arm — Round 25

Josh Reynolds — shoulder — season

Chris Lawrence — hand and hamstring — indefinite

Luke Garner — concussion — Round 20

Robbie Farah — concussion — TBC