Bulldozing Brisbane prop Ben Hannant has been ruled out of Darren Lockyer's record-breaking clash with North Queensland in Townsville but he will be back in time for next month's NRL finals.

Scans on Monday detected a small tear in Hannant's hip (flexor) muscle with the early prognosis being a minimum of three weeks' rest.

Brisbane coach Anthony Griffin had been expecting the bad news after Hannant failed to play the second half against the Warriors on Saturday night.

Reliable prop Nick Kenny is in the mix to come into the side.

There was better news on goal-kicking lock Corey Parker who is expected to make the trip north despite a badly-swollen eye and a dozen stitches in a nasty cheek cut.

Griffin said he expects Cowboys playmaker Johnathan Thurston to play.

"Having JT back will given them a ton of confidence," said Griffin who was not reading anything into their surprise loss to the Bulldogs last weekend when they also missed Matt Scott's impact up front.

"It was one of those games you have every now and then against the Bulldogs. It certainly wasn't one of their best efforts of the year.

"They've been very consistent all year and I'm sure they'll be itching to get back out there and prove that form all wrong against us."

The Cowboys have the brand of attack that can bust open any team with Thurston and Bowen on their games.

"They're a good challenge. We did a good job against the Warriors last weekend but, with their attack, we'll need to go to another level again," said Griffin.

"If you have a look at all the stats, they're the best attacking team in the competition.

"They've scored the most tries in the competition, they've made the most tackle breaks, they're a great side and we know what to expect.

Griffin will name his squad after training on Tuesday with Josh McGuire a strong chance to push for a starting spot on the back of his aggressive performance against the Warriors.

The clash, which is heading towards a sellout, will create history with Lockyer breaking the record for the most NRL games (350), eclipsing Terry Lamb and Steve Menzies.

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