Rugby league: Kiwis utility Te Maire Martin stood down by Cowboys for NRL match after suffering from brain bleed

Kiwis utility Te Maire Martin is out of the game indefinitely with a "small bleed on the brain" — though his NRL club insists the situation is not career-threatening.

NRL.com reported that Martin has been affected by ongoing migraines and headaches over the past two weeks, resulting in him being stood down from this Friday's game with the Titans.

The 23-year-old will meet with specialists and neurologists for more tests.

The Cowboys, at this stage, don't believe Martin's symptoms result from a concussion suffered in training or a game.

"He's OK, he's resting at the moment and that's the only thing he can do at the moment," North Queensland director of football Parr told NRL.com.

"He's having some different tests to get to the bottom of what's caused it.

"It's a small bleed, that's a positive, it's not career-threatening or anything like that. It's a matter of finding out more about it.

"At the moment he'll just rest up, we'll conduct the appropriate tests and get him in to see the appropriate people and we'll continue to make decisions after that."

Martin has played 49 matches for the Cowboys, since moving north from Penrith halfway through the 2017 season.

He made his NRL debut in 2016 and has played four tests for the Kiwis.