THE Cowboys appear set to make a late change to their side for tomorrow night’s clash against the Dragons, with John Asiata firming to play in the halves.

Cowboys coach Paul Green would not divulge details, but Asiata could play alongside Michael Morgan despite being named on North Queensland’s bench earlier in the week.

Ben Hampton was originally named at halfback to replace injured co-captain Johnathan Thurston, but the former Storm hooker may be rotated at No. 9 with Blake Leary, who has been named to start at dummy half.

The speculation comes after Cowboys centre Justin O’Neill let slip a possible team change when talking to media this morning.

“I think with Johnno being out we got a big opportunity there for Morgs and John Asiata in the halves there,” O’Neill said.

“If they can step up and really control the team, bark their orders and steer us around the footy field, and I think that’s going to go a long way to us being able to score some points.”

Green refused to confirm any late changes, instead replying with a chuckle that any on-field reshuffling will be seen at kick-off.

“That’s for me to know ... you’ll find out on Saturday night,” he said, adding that Asiata was at least in the mix to partner Morgan.

“That’s a possibility, we’ll see how the boys are going from a fitness point of view I suppose.”

Asiata would square off against one of the NRL’s most in-form halves pairings in Dragons’ duo Gareth Widdop and Josh McGrone, but Asiata wouldn’t be out of his depth

Asiata is a natural ballplayer and in fact played his junior rugby league at halfback and five-eighth.

The Wentworth junior has not started in the halves since joining the Cowboys in 2014 but has filled in at times, and regularly provides impact off the bench thanks to his ball playing ability.

An 18-man Cowboys squad travelled to Sydney today, with Javid Bowen travelling as cover for centre Kane Linnett who is likely to play after suffering a cork injury in last weekend’s upset loss to the Wests Tigers.

The Cowboys go into tomorrow’s clash as rank outsiders against the NRL ladder leaders, who dropped their only match of the season to date at Wollongong in Round 2 against Parramatta, but Green is wary of taking too much comfort from a “nothing to lose” approach.

“We fancy our chances,” he said.

“You (need to) be careful when there’s talk about no pressure, there’s still that internal pressure to perform.

“You just got to be careful that we don’t give ourselves an out as in ‘we’re not expected to win, so it’s OK if we don’t.

“We feel like we prepared well and we’re going to give it a crack.”

Green highlighted the importance of limiting the damage of St George’s rampant forwards, led by Paul Vaughan with an average 166m.

“Their forwards are certainly getting them down the field really well,” he said.

“It’s pretty simple what they’re doing but it’s not easy to stop.

“Widdop and McCrone are getting off the back of that really good go forward, so it starts with defence and it’s an area we haven’t been at our best this year.”