Greg Dowling to run for Clive Palmer's United Australia Party

A 1980s rugby league star will be the United Australia Party's (UAP) candidate in the Townsville electorate of Herbert, it has been announced.

Greg Dowling, who represented Queensland 11 times at the State of Origin, is the much-touted sporting star for the seat.

The former prop forward formerly played for Wynnum-Manly, Wigan and the Brisbane Broncos before retiring in 1991.

Party leader Clive Palmer had been tipped to run for the seat, but instead he will be the lead candidate for the UAP's Senate campaign in Queensland.

Dowling famously engaged in a sideline fistfight against New Zealand's Kevin Tamati after both were sin-binned during an international game in 1985.

Dowling is the second rugby league star to run alongside Mr Palmer.

Glenn Lazarus was elected as senator for the Palmer United Party in 2014, but quit the party less than a year later.

Lazarus ran for re-election as the leader of the Glenn Lazarus Team, but did not win in the 2016 election.

Herbert, currently represented by Labor's Cathy O'Toole, has long been a fiercely contested electorate.