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Jason Taumalolo admits he's "a bit of a fan" of David Fifita but that he can't wait to see how they measure up in Friday's Queensland NRL derby.

He was targeted by Brisbane's Tevita Pangai in the corresponding game last year but North Queensland forward Jason Taumalolo is eyeing off another Bronco on Friday night.

The Cowboys will play in their new Queensland Country Bank Stadium for the first time in an NRL season-opening derby sure to offer plenty of spice.

After running more than 300 metres in last season's NRL opener, Taumalolo was felled with a serious knee injury in round two as the Broncos set their sights on the Cowboys' strike weapon.

Cowboys coach Paul Green said on Thursday he felt Pangai "had a bit of a goal" that night to target his star forward.

Used to being sized up, Taumalolo admits he finds the constant comparisons to NRL rivals "funny" but inspiring.

And while Pangai will be gunning for Taumalolo again the Cowboys star will be keeping one on his second-row partner, 20-year-old David Fifita.

"It does become a bit of a competitive thing; you want to get one over them and give them a friendly reminder why they got compared to you," Taumalolo told AAP of his running battles with opposition giants.

"David is an awesome young player, I'm a bit of a fan watching him sometimes.

"The way he carries the ball; he is a freak of an athlete, so that will be a good game to see where we're both at."

An inexperienced Brisbane will lean heavily on that second-row pair - as well as another 20-year-old mountain in Payne Haas - to set the platform against a formidable Cowboys pack that also includes Jordan McLean and Coen Hess.

Green expects a grind up the middle on what could be a wet night, downplaying the expectations on club debutant Valentine Holmes and new five-eighth Scott Drinkwater.

"I don't expect that we're all of a sudden going to become this wonderful attacking team just because we have those players," the coach said.

"It's round one ... if we expect them to go out and put on this attacking show, it's probably not going go happen.

"I hope it does ... but it's going to take a while for those key combinations to jell."