PRIDE coach David Maiden says yesterday's team selection was ''without a doubt'' his toughest since becoming head coach.

Maiden recalled three Cowboys players to the Pride side for Sunday’s elimination final against Queensland Cup minor premiers Souths Logan in Brisbane.

While his team was celebrating
immediately after their semi-final win against Wynnum-Manly on Sunday, Maiden’s thoughts had already turned to what he knew would be a tough decision – whether to recall the four Cowboys who had qualified to be part of the Pride’s finals campaign.

"I’ve been agonising since 5pm on Sunday knowing there would be guys that would miss out that don’t deserve to," Maiden said. "It’s a good situation to be in but it’s not easy."

Maiden named Ty Williams, Nick Slyney and Clint Amos yesterday, with the outstanding form of Kaine Manihera keeping Cowboys winger Michael Bani on the sidelines.

The decisions forced former NRL winger Brenton Bowen, utility Chris Riesen and Atherton forward Rod Griffin out of the squad that beat the Seagulls last week, although Griffin has been named 18th man.

"Everyone in our squad has played a significant role in getting us to this point in the season," Maiden said.

Only two games into his return from a battle with the foot condition plantar fasciitis that ruled him out of action for more than three months, former Cowboys and Titans flyer Bowen has been ruled out with a knee injury.

Bowen has suspected cartilage damage and Maiden said he could not
afford to take him into the game under an injury cloud.

"I just didn’t want to take the risk," he said. "The doc and physio said he ‘might’ be right but I can’t afford a ‘might’ at this stage.

"And when you’ve got an ex-State of Origin rep (Williams) waiting in the wings, it’s a good situation to be in."

Maiden said there was "no way in the world" he could drop Manihera after his late-season form, with the stocky winger acting as another forward for the Pride with his work carting the ball up from dummy-half.

Malanda product Slyney has come back into the team after playing all but the last three games of the season with the Pride.

Amos also slots back in but Maiden will stick with Jason Roos as the starting hooker to maintain continuity.

Maiden said the Cowboys players had been keen to return to the Queensland Cup, going as far as texting the Pride coach over the past two weeks to remind him of their availability.

"They’ve played a significant part in terms of getting us to where we are," Maiden said.

"It is a tough decision on guys who have done the job over the last couple of weeks.

"They’re all taking it seriously, not as some kind of muck around at the end of the season – otherwise, I’d have serious reservations. But they’re not that kind of people."

Pride: 1 Chey Bird, 2 Ty Williams, 3 Brett Anderson, 4 Rod Jensen, 5 Kaine Manihera, 6 Ryan Stig, 7 Chris Sheppard (C), 8 Alex Starmer, 9 Jason Roos, 10 Ben Laity, 11 Nick Slyney, 12 Mark Cantoni, 13 Joel Riethmuller. Interchange: 14 Clint Amos, 15 Ben Spina, 16 Noel Underwood, 17 Mark Dalle Cort, 18 Rod Griffin.

Souths Logan: 1 David Milne, 2 Michael Brophy, 3 Quentin Laulu-Togagae, 4 James Stuart, 5 Matt Ward, 6 Phil Dennis, 7 Mick Picker, 8 Lewis Balcomb, 9 Matt King, 10 Kieran Whalley, 11 Joshua White, 12 Brad Cross, 13 James Tutuila. Interchange: 14 Jarrod Kennedy, 15 Wade Liddell, 16 Sam Crabb, 17 Nick Skinner.

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