OUT-of-sorts playmaker Michael Morgan may be switched to fullback to regain his mojo after an ailing North Queensland were upset 18-8 in their NRL clash with Canberra in Townsville.

Five-eighth Morgan showed some spark when he took over the custodian role late in Saturday night’s clash but it couldn’t stop the Cowboys slumping to their sixth loss in seven games.

Alarm bells are ringing for heavyweights North Queensland after they slipped to a 2-6 record and already sit two wins outside the top eight.

Coach Paul Green has hinted Morgan may be kept at fullback to rejuvenate North Queensland’s back line with regular No. 1 Lachlan Coote still nursing a rib complaint.

“I just thought we needed some spark across the paddock,” Green said of Morgan’s No. 1 switch.

“Once Morgs was on the ball I thought we looked more threatening.

“But I never comment straight after games about team selections.”

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Morgan and halves partner Johnathan Thurston are under enormous pressure to click this year after the Cowboys’ nightmare start.

Green leapt to their defence on Saturday night despite North Queensland being restricted to one try at home by a Raiders outfit that had lost their last nine games in Townsville.

‘I don’t think it is fair to put it all on those two,” Green said.

“If you look across the park we haven’t found our rhythm as a team for long enough periods yet.” Green said the Cowboys’ plight was best summed up by Morgan’s 68th-minute bombed try.

Lachlan Coote is nursing a rib injury.

North Queensland looked certain to score and reel in the Raiders’ 12-8 lead when Morgan broke free running off Thurston.

Morgan had options aplenty around him and could have even pinned the ears back and backed himself to score.

Instead Morgan second-guessed himself and had the ball knocked out of his hands by Canberra’s Jack Wighton.

“That is probably us as a team,” Green said.

“We are in two minds at the moment in a lot of areas.

“We manage to find the wrong decision at the moment.

“Across the board we need to simplify things and get back to what we do best.”

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