A hamstring injury has thrown dual international Brad Thorn's rugby league comeback plans into disarray with the giant back-rower joining a growing list of Brisbane Broncos in danger of missing the season opener against North Queensland.

Thorn and hooker Michael Ryan have both gone down with hamstring strains five weeks out from the club's National Rugby League blockbuster at Suncorp Stadium on March 13.

Brisbane's big man stocks are already thin with Dane Carlaw still recovering from a shoulder reconstruction, Shane Webcke on the way back from off-season knee surgery and promising teenager Tom Learoyd-Lahrs battling two bulging discs in his back.

Thorn's setback is disappointing given the hard yards he's been putting in on the training paddock.

He had to withdraw from Saturday's trial in Bundaberg and his first appearance in rugby league since being part of Brisbane's 2000 premiership celebrations now seems guess work.

Ryan's outlook is even worse.

The Toowoomba rake has already been warned to expect to spend the next six weeks on the sidelines after undergoing kneecap surgery last year.

Brisbane coach Wayne Bennett is expected to excuse a number of his first grade players from upcoming trials against Melbourne and Canberra, including Test centre Shaun Berrigan who also had shoulder surgery after the Tri-Nations series.

Skipper Darren Lockyer, who played through the finals and the Tri series with a rib injury, is expected to skip the trial against the Storm on the Gold Coast but tune up for the season against Canberra in Toowoomba the following week.

A similar plan has been outlined for Webcke who's stripped a few kilograms from his frame since having his knee cleaned out.

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