- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
The North Queensland Cowboys supporters got it completely wrong last Saturday night. They should have booed, heckled and jeered their team from the field after the demolition of South Sydney at 1300 Smiles Stadium.
Thurston, Scott, Tate, Tamou and Co have done close to zip for the team all season and suddenly we see a command performance – almost flawless in attack and defence – a few days after coach Neil Henry’s contract was terminated.
“We did it for ourselves and our supporters,” Thurston told the TV audience moments after completing a 30-12 win over the competition heavyweight.
JT, I think I get that, you put on quite a show because you were, aaah, in the mood. Got out of bed the right side. The planets were aligned. You just felt like it.
The entire Cowboys scenario has been an embarrassment this year. The club has a very talented roster and was widely tipped to finish in the top four, or better.
It has served up rubbish more often than not and the players, and the club’s administrators, have not been held to account.
But the coach has been given the heave-ho. The non-performance has been pretty much all his fault.
The Cowboys players? If you’ll excuse an intended pun, they’re going to get off, Scott-free.
Many of these players were picked in the State of Origin and hardly missed a beat.
Where were the missed tackles in that arena? How come the game plans were carried out with near perfection?
Coach Henry should correctly cop some criticism for not dropping his non-performers from the NRL but my barbs are aimed mainly at the well-paid professionals at North Queensland who have not aimed up until the season was gone.
What I’d like to know is why the Cowboys have been missing tackles, dropping passes and generally ignoring their coach’s instructions all season?
Are we going to see the real North Queensland talent shine through now that there’s an incoming coach to impress?
I honestly thought there would be considerable sorrow and remorse for the axed coach who had done the job for five seasons.
Test prop Scott was interviewed pre-game. He was asked if the players were guilty about Henry’s dumping on the Monday leading up to the Souths game.
Scott said: “I don’t think so. It is one of those things, it works both ways. If a player is not playing well he gets dropped or his contract doesn’t get extended.”
Scott conceded that it was disappointing the coach’s tenure ended in this fashion.
“He has been around this club for a long time and I have had him as an assistant in the Origin arena as well – he’s a good mate of mine.”
Well, Matt, with friends like you . . .
I read recently where the Cowboys don’t like having their nickname shortened to the ‘Cows.’
Tough titty lads. I think the unwanted monicker will stick around for a hell of a lot longer with so much bulldust coming out of tropical Townsville.
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.