The North Queensland Cowboys have confirmed forward Coen Hess tore his ACL in the team's NRL preseason game against Canberra on the weekend.

Hess went off after his right knee buckled in a tackle during the Cowboys' 36-26 win over the Raiders in Queanbeyan on Sunday, with scans confirming the worst possible news for the former Origin back rower.

"Hess will have surgery in the coming weeks and will be sidelined for the remainder of the 2024 season," a club statement read.

The 27-year-old is the third NRL star to suffer a torn ACL in the preseason, with fellow former Maroons Tom Gilbert of the Dolphins and St George Illawarra's Corey Allan also out for the season.

Hess played six State of Origin games in the back row for Queensland from 2017 to 2020 but, after a drop in form, moved to prop for the Cowboys to revitalise his club career in recent seasons.

A two-year contract extension signed in 2021 locked him in at the Cowboys through this year, but he is a free agent after 2024.

He played every game for the Cowboys in their 2023 campaign.