Sam Thaiday gets nod to play derby should it clash with birth of his first child Sam and Rachel Thaiday. Picture: Kirkpatrick Annabelle Source: The Courier-Mail BRONCOS skipper Sam Thaiday has the green light from wife Rachel to skip the birth of their first child if it coincides with Friday's blockbuster with North Queensland. Thaiday's wife is due at any moment, with the Brisbane forward joking yesterday that the bags are packed, hospital run rehearsed and it's now a simple waiting game until the baby is born. But if that happens to come on Friday night, then Thaiday has been told he can help deliver a win at Suncorp Stadium before a baby. Rach said I have to go to work. I have to pay for the hospital bill so I will have to go and play," Thaiday said. I've got the bags packed. I've got the toll paid. That is ready to go. Any second when Rach is ready to go I'm ready to rally car drive to the hospital and pop the thing out. I've got the easy job, Rach has all the hard work and I wish her all the best. Thaiday could also be selected on Sunday night in Australia's Test team, forcing him to spend a week away in camp with the Kangaroos, so ideally the baby will arrive this week. If they want me (for Australia) I will play. But hopefully this baby comes in the next couple of days so I'm a chance to go away," he said. With Thaiday committed to returning from suspension, he replaces Dunamis Lui in the only change from the team which beat the Titans. It's one less worry for coach Anthony Griffin, who yesterday had centre Justin Hodges and second-rower Matt Gillett skip training because of illness. Neither is in doubt for Friday night, but the Broncos are wary about letting any illness spread through the team ahead of the crucial derby. The Cowboys beat Brisbane in all three clashes last year and the Broncos have not defeated North Queensland at Suncorp Stadium since 2010. Both teams have started the season 2-3. Thaiday knows Brisbane do not have a strong recent record over the Cowboys and warned they would need to take their game to another level from last week's 32-12 win over the Titans if they're to triumph on Friday. "They've probably had the wood on us for the last couple of years, one of those being a semi-final," Thaiday said. That's tough to handle but we can't think too much of last year. I think that big brother-little brother thing is done and dusted these days. We don't have the wood over them anymore. We've taken a little step in the right direction beating the Titans last week and we have a long way to go I think personally and I'm sure we can go further as a team.