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At Suncorp Stadium on Friday night we shall see what will hopefully be the beginning of a great comeback story in the NRL.
After the best part of 18 months, Lachlan Coote will finally resume his NRL career when he makes his first grade debut for the North Queensland Cowboys.
A former junior representative player and fullback in the 2008 National Youth Competition team of the year, Coote, you will remember, was at one time billed as the great hope for the future in Penrith.
However, Coote’s career at Penrith was marred by a series of serious injuries as he managed only 83 games over six tantalising seasons before he was released as part of Phil Gould’s ego and salary clean out over the course of 2012 and 2013, which also saw the departure of Luke Lewis and Michael Jennings. He played his last game for the club on September 8, 2013 shortly after it was announced that he had been released to take up a three-year deal at the Cowboys.
Coote’s bad luck with injury continued shortly after he joined the Cowboys when he was the most high profile injury victim of the inaugural Auckland Nines tournament at the beginning of the 2014 season. Coote was ruled out for the majority of 2014 after tearing his ACL and did not return at all that year.
In Coote’s absence the Cowboys converted promising halfback Michael Morgan to fullback for the duration of 2014. Morgan excelled at the new position, contributing a remarkable 18 try assists and 16 linebreak assists, second only to Brett Stewart in those categories. Morgan also had 14 linebreaks of his own, ran for over 100 metres per game, averaged a little under three tackle breaks and had the fifth best average kick return metres of fullbacks who played ten or more games at the position.
Indeed a case can be made that leaving aside the incomparable Prince of Brookvale and Dally M Medalist Jarryd Hayne, Morgan (along with Matt Moylan) had the most influence of any fullback in the competition. At the very least it’s safe to say Morgan’s rapid development was a welcome surprise for a team and fan-base worried about the loss of club legend Matt Bowen.
However, it appeared as if the big loser in Morgan’s ascension might be Coote. Coote began season 2015 well and truly behind Morgan in the pecking order for fullback and out of first grade altogether. As is often the case in such scenarios, stories started to appear in the press that Coote was on the trading block. Such speculation only intensified when Morgan signed an extended deal with the Cowboys at the start of this season.
Yet the Cowboy’s slow start to the year and the poor form of Robert Lui prompted a rethink for coach Paul Green. For Friday’s game Morgan has been moved back into a dedicated playmaking role in the number six jersey and Coote has been thrown a lifeline in his preferred position of fullback.
Coote reportedly looked sharp in two appearances for the club during preseason, however it is inevitable that there will be some rust after such a long period on the sidelines. Morgan will also need to adjust to the more constrained role that comes with playing in the halves, as well as the inevitable uptick in defensive responsibilities.
However, the potential upside for the Cowboys is huge. If Morgan can convert his playmaking contributions from fullback to the halves and Coote can produce the same ability and talent he showed in flashes during his early years at Penrith then they should provide a terrific foil for Johnathan Thurston and jump start the Cowboys’ season.
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