Paul Green

Green, who became head coach in 2014, ended months of speculation about his future when he confirmed on Monday he had agreed to a three-year deal and was staying on at the Cowboys.

Green is relieved to have sorted out his future.

"I am very happy to have my future sorted and even happier my future is with the Cowboys," he said.

"My family is really settled here, my wife hails from the region and we are all really pleased to be able to continue to be part of the North Queensland community.

Asiata emerged as an NRL superstar - and made Green look like a genius - after filling in for the injured Thurston in North Quensland’s 28-22 loss to St George Illawarra.

Green’s injury-ravaged club trailed 28-4 at the break before Asiata put the Cowboys on his broad shoulders and set Twitter alight.

The big fella set up two tries and pulled out a kicking game any top half-back would be proud of to almost orchestrate an unlikely win over the in-form Dragons.

“He did a really good job there in the halves,” Green said of his big back-rower.

After two years of relatively little changes to their regular 17, the Cowboys have been hit hard by injuries in the opening weeks of the Telstra Premiership with Matt Scott, Lachlan Coote, Justin O'Neill and Antonio Winterstein all missing from the Titans clash along with the suspended Jason Taumalolo.

The Cowboys fought hard but couldn't capitalise on first half opportunities and went down to Melbourne 16-10, as coach Paul Green said his side just weren't clinical enough with the footy.

"It was a pretty typical Melbourne win, they got their noses in front and controlled the tempo of the game pretty well and we were probably our own worst enemies there in the second half," Green said.

"They had 18 sets down on our try line and we only had 10 for the game, against a team like Melbourne that's probably not going to win you the game."

Having started in the hooker position Kostjasyn was forced from the field in the 35th minute on Saturday night after he was caught in an awkward position when trying to make a tackle, Green resigned to being without him for the immediate future.

"His neck's pretty bad," Green said.

"We took him off with the concussion rule but his neck's not great so we'll see how he pulls up but he's pretty sore at the moment.

"He was making a tackle I think. He just got his neck jammed up."

While coaching the Maroons remains a career goal of Green’s, he said the timing wasn’t right to take up the role next year.

“I am extremely flattered by the QRL’s interest in me coaching the Maroons. I’m humbled by the overtures and coaching the Maroons is something I am hugely passionate about,” said Green, who played seven Origin games for Queensland from 1999-2001.

“I’ve decided to concentrate on coaching the Cowboys in season 2016, putting all my energies into having another successful season.