Te Maire Martin has expressed his reservations at filling a utility role with North Queensland despite likely being shut out of the halves with the return of Johnathan Thurston.

The 22-year-old stepped up in the absence of the injured Thurston last season, scoring in both the NRL preliminary and grand final to show his class at five-eighth.

One solution on coach Paul Green's table may be to deploy the New Zealand international off the bench as a back-up to hooker Jake Granville.

But Martin has never played hooker and in October last year expressed doubts about how he would defend the bigger men in that new role.

Having returned to club training alongside a fit-again Thurston after his Rugby League World Cup campaign, Martin says he isn't quite sure where he'll fit in.

"If I get a spot in the team I'd be stoked," he said.

"I'll bide my time and learn as much as I can off JT; It's pretty cool watching him at training do what he does, he's just so calm."

Despite facing the prospect of playing reserve grade, Martin was far from confident when asked if he was ready to come off the bench in an NRL utility role.

"I'm not too sure, that's up to Greeney," he said.

"I'd take it on, but he knows what's best for the team."

Martin is the only one of the Cowboys' four internationals back at training, with Melbourne Storm recruit Jordan McLean, Tonga's Jason Taumalolo and Australian playmaker Michael Morgan due back next week.

John Asiata is back after successful off-season surgery, the forward having finished 2017 playing with a badly broken hand.