The NRL grand final is done and dusted and I for one am glad. Like other footy fans I’m sad that the season is over but I’m relieved that I don’t have to listen to more media exaggeration about the North Queensland Cowboys’ so-called “fairytale” and “miraculous” season.
Don’t get me wrong, I thought the Cowboys’ run in the playoffs – winning three straight sudden-death games to reach the grand final – was special. But the media throwing around superlatives as regularly as a star playmaker throws cut-out passes – really?
The overly parochial Queensland sports media wets itself over Johnathan Thurston and his team’s exploits but it seems all rugby league media was excessively gushy over the Cowboys “overcoming adversity” this year. Oh, please. Spare me the histrionics! We’re talking about the team that won the premiership two short years ago – with 12 members of its 2017 grand final side.
As for the Cowboys’ injury woes, they had four players out for the season. Compare that to the season-ending injury toll endured by Gold Coast (ten), Newcastle (eight) and Wests Tigers (six). After North Queensland lost Australian prop Matt Scott early in the season and champion halfback Thurston required surgery on his busted shoulder mid-year, a lot of people wrote off the Cowboys’ title chances.
I thought that while Paul Green’s team probably wouldn’t seriously push for the title, they were sure things to make the top eight. Despite North Queensland’s noted injuries, it’s hardly miraculous that the team qualified for the finals.
(AAP Image/Michael Chambers)
When Thurston was ruled out for the season in June the Cowboys were comfortably in the top eight, two wins ahead of the ninth-placed team. The Cowboys then compiled a 5-5 record in its final 10 games of the regular season. Five of those games were against teams below North Queensland on the ladder. For some perspective, in 1999 the Brisbane Broncos won 12 of its last 14 games to finish eighth, after winning one of its first 10 games that season.
North Queensland’s march to the grand final was as impressive as St George making the 1996 decider. A team with just three then-current Origin players, the Dragons qualified for the grand final from seventh position by winning three sudden death matches.
The Cowboys are a team that knows how to win – and hasn’t had a losing season since 2010. Without Thurston and Scott, the Townsville side still boasted seven international players, including four State of Origin representatives and the reigning Dally M player of the year and league’s most destructive ball-runner, Jason Taumalolo.
Thurston’s replacement as Cowboys’ halfback was Michael Morgan. Morgan isn’t a rookie thrust into a pressure-cooker atmosphere after being thrown into the deep end by his coach. Sure, he normally plays in the number six jersey but we’re talking about an Australian Kangaroos representative who has won several State of Origin series with Queensland and has around 130 NRL appearances to his name.
Was it really that surprising that Morgan stood tall in JT’s absence and led the Cowboys around the park so professionally? He’s a proven match winner – the guy who orchestrated a miraculous last-second try that led to the Cowboys winning the 2015 grand final.
There have been more astounding positional changes that produced on-field success. In the 1999 semi-finals, Matt Geyer shifted from Melbourne’s wing to replace Ben Anderson at five-eighth, then helped his team win the grand final. Five years after a 14-game NRL career, 28-year-old halfback Shane Perry helped Brisbane win the 2006 title. The Storm reached last year’s grand final without Billy Slater, the best fullback of the modern era. Those are arguably “fairytale” stories.
Was North Queensland’s 2017 season memorable? Yes. Gutsy? Absolutely. Perhaps even remarkable? Sure. Was it a fairytale? No.
Cald
Guest
Your last two sentences - lovely contradiction.... "The Storm reached last year’s grand final without Billy Slater, the best fullback of the modern era. Those are arguably “fairytale” stories. Was North Queensland’s 2017 season memorable? Yes. Gutsy? Absolutely. Perhaps even remarkable? Sure. Was it a fairytale? No." Sorry what? The storm lose that grand final but are missing one player and having been probably the best team of the last decade and you consider that arguably a fairytale story? Yet, for North Queensland, who make a grand final without the best player of the modern era Thurston and the best prop in Scott but then that isn't arguably a fairytale? By the logic of how you consider the 2016 Storm then the 2017 Cowboys is a fairytale.
Not so super
Guest
Fairytale- the most over used term in RL
Trillion Euro Extreme
Roar Rookie
It was miraculous though.
Nat
Roar Guru
Surely you appreciate the loss of JT and Scott to the team Lee? They do have other quality players but do you think Storm win without Cronk/Bronwich? Pearce/JWH, Maloney/Gal, Hunt/McGuire or DCE/Jurbo do any of those teams make the 8 let alone the final? All teams have other good players but those two are not only the best in NQ but the best in Rugby League.
realist
Guest
What..........are they a 2 man team? The same can be said about Manly missing Brett Stewart & Steve Matai for the whole season not just part of it. All teams have injuries to deal with. The Cowboys had 2 whilst other teams were decimated by injuries. Can bet the bottom teams would love to have the players the Cowboys did throughout the year!
Lee Oliver
Guest
I actually prefered that old finals system. Team 1 playing team 8 was much fairer for the minor premier than team 1 playing team 4 in week one of the playoffs.
Lee Oliver
Guest
In Round 16 (when JT got injured) I still thought the Cowboys had the personnel and enough wins on the board to be in good shape for the top 8 come season's end. As for what happened in Round 26, I thought the Cowboys may have beaten Broncos at home – and I just knew for sure that the Dragons (like the Demons in the AFL) would falter with their finals fate in their own hands.
Rob
Guest
All good Lee. I'm happy to read a feel good stories over the other ref bashing, games in crisis stuff any day. Time to watch a bit of cricket and let the players enjoy their well deserved R&R.
The Barry
Roar Guru
I don't know Lee. Losing Scott early and then JT had plenty of people tipping them to bomb out of contention. As for it not being surprised they made the eight - halfway through round 26 their fate was completely out of their hands and it took a win by a $3.45 outsider to get them into the eight. You must be harder to surprise than most. If they'd have won it would have been the biggest grand final upset I could remember.
no one in particular
Roar Guru
Under the old McIntyre system they would have been first team gone. They were just the last team to play Melbourne
Mike from tari
Guest
Finally someone has seen sense, a pity you couldn't pass it on to those Courier Mail reporters.
Lee Oliver
Guest
You are right. How many coaches were (if you believe media speculation) on the verge of being punted before their side suddenly morphed into one of the form teams of the league?
Lee Oliver
Guest
I agree. The Cowboys making the grand final from eighth was astounding but I wasn't at all surprised that they made the finals. Maybe having one of the NRL's elite teams branded as the 'underdog' each week had me confused?
Lee Oliver
Guest
Yes, the media needs special narratives to sell its stories, and that's why I think they were overzealous in mentioning the loss of Thurston ad nauseum and constantly reiterated the Cowboys' success without him. Even though NQ still had a great (yet busted) playing roster and a winning culture. As much as the Cowboys showed guts and determination in the finals they also played better football than Cronulla, Parramatta and Sydney Roosters in those playoff games - high completion rates, low penalty counts, low error tallies. They played perfect finals footy.
Lee Oliver
Guest
Yes, the Cowboys lost Scott and Thurston but I am astounded that people wrote off the team given JT's replacement is an Australian Kangaroos player and NQ still had one of the league's best playing rosters.
Rob
Guest
I think the media are in the business of selling stories. If the Cowboys had of pulled a miracle victory against the Storm it certainly would have been fairytale. They had $3 million sitting on the sideline, Asiata(broken hand), Feldt (torn groin), Lowe (facial fracture), Cooper (calf strain), Bolton (living on painkillers) and no right being on the field. The Mad Monday celebrations for most these boys will be spent in the hospital ward. They had done so much travel in the last month and they only made the GF out of sheer guts and determination. They deserve all the accolades they get in my opinion.
AGordon
Guest
Lee A bit early to be writing this article, given the season's been over less than 48 hours. You do make good points though. North Qld were one of several "fairytales" throughout the season if the journalists are to be believed, who only write to try and outdo each other with superlatives. The Dragons were an early "fairytale" with their start to the year, then Manly took on that tag mid year. Parra were the biggest fairytale towards the end of the season, until they became genuine premiership contenders, then the Cowboys were the new fairytale, until they lost the GF. Maybe that could be your next article; who were all the "fairytale stories in the 2017 season? Josh Atto-Carr would be one for sure, throw in a dose of Billy Slater's comeback from injury and Cooper Cronk's "fairytale" finish to his career and you've got the makings of an article
Wayne
Roar Guru
Salt Intensifies
Nat
Roar Guru
The season is over and Lee has decided to go fishing. You'll earn your place in the Daily Tele soon enough champ.
Jimmmy
Guest
No Virginia there is no Santa Claus. While I’m at it the tooth fairy is a pile of dung and as for the Easter bunny.!! The Cows, ( just like Parra in 09) was a great story because , well , it was a great story. Merry Xmas.