Cowboys hand speedster Tabuai-Fidow a debut

The Cowboys will hand teenaged speedster Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow a highly anticipated NRL debut against the Warriors on Friday night.

Scott Drinkwater recently mused that the 18-year-old may well be the fastest player in the game.  The Cowboys players call him "The Cheetah" because of his rare turn of speed and he is also known as the "The Hammer".

Tabuai-Fidow electrified the NRL Nines in Perth with his speed, finishing as the joint leading try scorer. He twice scored brilliant kick and chase tries including a dazzler in the Cowboys win over the Dragons in the final.

Cowboys coach Paul Green has coached and played with and against some speed merchants in his day and said former Sharks flyer David Peachey was a suitable comparison when it came to foot speed for his new winger.

"He is up there. He is one of those guys who only runs as fast as he has to," Green grinned.

"I played a lot of footy with David Peachey and he was similar. Peach would always just stay a metre or two ahead of whoever was chasing him. So sometimes you are never sure exactly how quick those guys ever are."

Green said the time was right to elevate the Cairns Kangaroos junior to the big time for the clash in Gosford.

"Part of the reason for giving him a run in the Nines was to see how he'd go in that company," Green said.

"I thought he had a good tournament over there. I would have liked to have given him a run earlier but he had a couple of injury concerns.

"Our left edge, in particular, didn't have a great night last week so I thought it was a good opportunity to give him a run.

"He has done everything asked of him and has been training really well. You've got to give those kids a go at some stage and I am confident he can do a good job for us.

"One of the main reasons the club came in was a pathway for North Queensland kids so it is a good story for us and for Hamiso."

Green has rung the changes after the 26-16 loss to the Sharks with hooker Jake Granville dropped.

Granville's omission from the side is based on form and on the impact new number nine Reece Robson has made off the bench at the club since arriving from the Dragons.

Robson's early season form demanded that he be given a chance to start and Granville was also overlooked for the bench where Reuben Cotter as the bench utility.

"We need to be playing our best footy now that the season is shorter," Green said.

"[Robson] has been good both sides of the footy. He has got a calm head about him and he picks his times when to run."

Coen Hess returns to the starting side after missing last week through injury while Jason Taumalolo has been named in jersey No.20 as he recovers from bone bruising on the knee.

"He hasn't done a lot of full-contact training yet so we will wait and see how he gets through the next two sessions," Green said when asked about Taumalolo’s chances of playing.

"We are not going to take any unnecessary risks with him."