Bowen name lives on at Cowboys

He already boasts the North Queensland Cowboys' most famous name.

But Javid Bowen has been tipped to make a name for himself by Cowboys co-captain Johnathan Thurston after an NRL debut to remember.

The nephew of Cowboys great Matt Bowen capped a dream first game by finishing off a wonderful set-piece to score a second half try in North Queensland's 36-0 romp over the Dragons in Townsville on Saturday night.

Overall Bowen ran 114m and added a line break as his proud uncle watched from the stands.

It ensured the Bowen name synonymous with the Cowboys was again up in lights in Townsville.

Thurston was a willing partner in crime on the field with livewire fullback Matt Bowen, the Cowboys record holder for games played.

And Thurston would have had a sense of deja vu when he watched Javid Bowen finish off North Queensland's perfect 55th minute play in their six-try demolition of a limp Dragons.

Afterwards Thurston appeared just as proud as Bowen's uncle as he reflected on the 23-year-old's debut.

"It was a night for him to remember," Thurston said.

"It is a very famous name at the club but he is putting his own stamp on it."

The Bowen name was always going to appear at the Cowboys this year after veteran Matt returned to the club to take up a development role following a two-year England stint.

But Cowboys fans thought they had seen the last of it on the field after Matt Bowen was given one last hurrah in North Queensland colours at this year's Auckland Nines.

However, Cowboys coach Paul Green appeared pleased that a Bowen was again running around in Townsville on Saturday night.

"I thought he had an impressive debut. He had some strong carries," Green said.

And Javid Bowen - nicknamed Jango similar to his uncle Matt's Mango moniker - looks set to feature for some time to come.

He has replaced centre Kane Linnett, who is out for up to six weeks with a shoulder injury.

At 193cm and 91kg, Javid Bowen physically has little in common with his diminutive uncle.

But it seems the pair share the same laidback demeanour after Green admitted Javid Bowen only showed a "hint" of excitement when told of his NRL debut nod.

However, even the quietly-spoken centre could not hide his emotions after he crashed over following a perfectly executed chain of Cowboys passes in the second half.