HIS courage in playing finals with a broken hand received deserved plaudits, but Cowboys prop John Asiata only needed to look at the giant newcomer at training to know forward spots will be at a premium this year.

Melbourne premiership winner and Kangaroos star Jordan McLean introduced himself to his new teammates at an intense session yesterday.

The 196cm, 115kg monster participated in some fitness training and fellow World Cup guns Michael Morgan, Jason Taumalolo and Te Maire Martin were also on hand to watch or join in the skills session.

McLean joins Jason Taumalolo and Matt Scott as the spearheads of arguably the most imposing middle third in the competition.

It means the likes of Asiata, Shaun Fensom, Coen Hess, Corey Jensen and Josh Chudleigh will be battling for bench spots before the season opener against Cronulla in March.

“The boys are doing whatever they can to be the best they can be and I have to do the same thing, I can’t take a backward step from 2017,” Asiata said.

“It (McLean’s arrival) is good for the boys and for everyone to take our game to the next level.

“There’s a lot of challenges in our squad, everything’s going for the same thing.

“A lot of our forwards aren’t very tall so he does bring a new dimension, being a bigger body it gives the opposition another thing to worry about, and also his offload.”

Asiata had successful surgery on his hand during the off-season, which kept him out of Samoa’s World Cup campaign.

But he views it as a blessing in disguise after being able to spend more time with his newborn daughter Eleana, who was born just before last year’s finals series.

“The hand’s all good and I’m back into full contact and doing pretty much everything,” Asiata said.

“Yes (it was disappointing) because it would have been my first World Cup, but having my baby and watching her grow for the first two months was probably the best thing.

“All the parents and dads I’ve spoken to say the first two months go by way too quick and they miss it, I’m glad I got to spend it with her.

“I’ve got to wait another four years to get another (chance at a) World Cup, but it’s all good.”

Fensom completed rehabilitation exercises in his comeback from a broken leg suffered in the grand final, while back rower Gavin Cooper watched on with his left calf iced.