FORMER international Greg Dowling says the Cowboys should bring out the selection knives and inject new blood into the NRL side because many players appear to have already given up on the season.

Malanda product Nick Slyney has won a return to the North Queensland team after a strong debut on Saturday night but few other changes have been made despite the Cowboys being on the verge of equalling the longest losing streak in club history.

Slyney made the highlight reels for scoring a try on debut but it was his defensive effort that impressed most.

He made 23 tackles to finish fourth overall in the Cowboys' tally behind Ray Cashmere (39), Jacob Lillyman (31), Aaron Payne (26) and Ben Harris (28).

But while Payne and Harris were on the ground for 80 minutes, Lillyman 74 and Cashmere 49, Slyney had to wait for a start until late in the first half and knocked up his tally in 33 minutes.

He also made a line break, two tackle breaks, four one-on-one tackles and three hit-ups and had just one missed tackle, showing up several of his more experienced rivals.

"That to me is a step in the right direction," Dowling said of Slyney’s selection.

But he said the Cowboys should be going further, looking at their Queensland Cup feeder squads Northern Pride and Mackay Cutters.

"Bring some new blood in, Slyney's the perfect example of that," he said.

The Cowboys have been cursed with a wretched injury toll and are also missing Luke O’Donnell and now Travis Burns with long suspensions.

But Dowling said that had not stopped a team of "Neville Nobodies" pushing to within one game of a grand final last year.

"I think a lot of them have written this year off now," he said.

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