The club's marquee recruit in the off-season, Jordan McLean's Cowboys career got off to a disastrous start.

Just four games into his first campaign as a Cowboy, McLean suffered a serious Lisfranc injury which would keep him on the sidelines for four months.

McLean's return in Round 20 coincided with a change in fortune for the Cowboys. Paul Green's side won four of their last six games, with a healthy McLean playing a major role in the strong finish.

The 27-year-old quickly formed a fearsome combination with Matt Scott and Jason Taumalolo.

McLean produced a number of brilliant performances following his return from injury, but his mammoth effort against arch-rivals Brisbane in Round 22 stands out as the highlight.

In just 46 minutes, McLean ran for a huge 195 metres, including 68 post-contact metres and chipped in 21 tackles.

As a reward for his brilliant late season form, McLean was selected in the Kangaroos side for the Test Matches against New Zealand and Tonga.

2018 stats:

Games: 10

Tries: 2

Average runs: 14

Average run metres: 129

Average tackles: 24

Effective tackle percentage: 94