The 2019 NRL season presents an entirely new challenge for North Queensland Cowboys coach Paul Green, rebuilding a struggling team from the bottom up.
Green took the reins in 2014 and was blessed with inheriting a roster stacked with representative players and a future immortal in Johnathan Thurston.
His first assignment was to help the club move on from finals heartbreak amid controversial refereeing decisions in previous seasons. His next was to lead the Cowboys to a drought-breaking premiership.
The 2015 season was nothing short of miraculous for the Townsville based club, in which Green instilled a never-give-up attitude and a belief in the players that they could win any game from any position, resulting in several unbelievable comeback wins. That included a memorable grand final victory in extra time to secure the Cowboys a maiden premiership in just Green’s second year as an NRL head coach.
The 2015 premiership resulted in Green heading a player retention drive, desperate to keep his premiership-winning team together with the hope they could achieve sustained success.
Despite a preliminary final in 2016 and an eighth-place finish in 2017 which included a memorable run to the grand final, unexpected cracks appeared this year in what ended up being a forgettable season for the Cowboys. They slumped to thirteenth place.
The Cowboys had a bad 2018 (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
Many pundits attributed the Cowboys fall from premiership favourites to a battle to avoid the wooden spoon because of Green’s apparent inability to evolve the team’s playing structure and his poor roster management by sticking with players who were past their best.
Thurston once again led the league in most of the attacking stats including try assists, but it was obvious the Cowboys’ structures in both attack and defence, had become too predictable. Several players looked tired and the team clearly lacked spark, speed and enthusiasm.
So for Green, the honeymoon period with his premiership winning squad and the gift of possessing one of the greatest playmakers of all time, is over.
The challenge for the Cowboys mentor is the unpleasant task of informing long-serving players of the club that their services are no longer required, recruiting new talent and developing fresh blood from their reserve grade ranks for NRL selection.
Paul Green (AAP Image/Michael Chambers)
The Cowboys recruitment process has already begun with the signings of premiership winner and Dally M medallist, Ben Barba and PNG international, Nene McDonald as well as setting their sights beyond 2019 by chasing the signature of representative star, Valentine Holmes.
It will be a busy off season for Green and his coaching staff, with the need to formulate and execute new playing structures, ensuring new players fit in to the clubs culture and challenging the experienced players to take their games to another level.
Despite the retirement of Thurston, North Queensland still possess a very talented and experienced roster, with several representative players and premiership winners, so anything less than a finals birth next season will be unacceptable.
In April this year, Green was re-signed for a further three seasons (until 2021) largely due to his success from previous seasons. However, if he is unable to return the Cowboys to the finals in 2019, his tenure as head coach of the North Queensland Cowboys may be cut short, so the pressure is on.
Adz Sportz
Roar Guru
Right...
Rob
Guest
LOL. If Green thought like myself, JT and Coote would have finished up in 2017. Winterstien and Linnet would have finished up 2016. Bolton would be gone with Cooper now. Ponga and Clifford would be signed for 5-7 year deals with Morgan, Asiata, Taumalolo and hopefully Holmes being the others in the core playing group. Brandon Smith and Kikau would been kept if possible.
Adz Sportz
Roar Guru
Superspud that's a fair point. Look at the Raiders for example, how many games over the past 2 seasons did they lose by 6 points or less, many of those games lost in the final minutes which have ultimately cost them finals spots. We wouldn't be having this conversation if the Dragons beat the Dogs to leapfrog the Cowboys into the finals and I think pre season training, roster management and team selections could have been very different
Superspud
Roar Rookie
Yeah I am saying by chance! You know what type of teams hi light how close they were to winning games and how they were right in the game at half time? Teams that miss the semis that's who. Yeah they were close but they didn't win those games in the end it took the floundering Dragons to lose on the last day to make it. That is luck and it comes down to our semi final series that reward moderate teams who have one good month. Unfortunately Paul Green thought like Rob and the result was a shootout for the spoon.
Rob
Guest
JT topped the try assists. He dominates the ball at first receiver and takes it to the line more than any other playmaker. Is that what Cronk does? I do think crash balling 5m from the line has it’s limits and becomes ridiculous predictable. Jt also figured high on miss tackles and errors. Kicking for goal when you’re trailing on the score board and 15th on the ladder has to be questioned? JT along with a few other senior players were ordinary for a large portion of the 2017 season. Defensively JT was costing the Cowboys games on a regular bases in the early rounds. I’m sorry but that’s the truth.
Adam
Guest
Couldn't agree more. I watched every Cowboys game last season and their problems were far greater than one person, even if it is JT. Sure, he'd lost some pace and wasn't his usual game breaking self, but he was still putting in massive efforts and playing solid. The rest of the team definitely was not and it showed. It's impossible to know what exactly was the main reason for this season gone, but it didn't help giving chance after chance to players who were consistently underperforming.
3 R M
Guest
We have a few good young props coming through in the under 18s as well as the the two from the 20s elevated to the squad for next year. but you would say they are a year or two away from regular first grade . Mitch Dunn would be a good 14 to develop just so much all round skill he could cover a few back line injuries and play as a running forward. As I alluded above positions 6 , 3,4,2 and 5 will be highly contested and I think Hampton should be in the side somewhere he did every thing asked of him last year playing in every position in the outside backs as well as having good impact at dummy half from the bench . We need to start preparing for the exit of Thumper and Bolts this season so Frank really does need to make his mark if he gets his chance .Your right about Clifford in what you said above Adam he has to play .I think he would be a good foil to take pressure off Morgan on the 5th tackle making him less of a target and spreading the defence. They are both such strong ball runners at the line. Morgan looses that part of his game at first receiver so if they work together we would get the best out of both of them.
Adz Sportz
Roar Guru
Sure JT was past his prime, but he still topped most of the attacking stats in 2018 eg try assists, line break assists, line engagements, 3rd for forced line drop outs. Most other halves would be twice as good if they were on JT's 'past his prime' level. Matt Scott and Scott Bolton were a shadow of their former selves. Coote was nowhere near the form he produced in 2015 and they lack speed and spark in their outside backs. But for me, it was Greens structures on both sides of the ball and his lack of faith, or perhaps poor judgement, in players like Hampton and Jensen. Also his reluctance to give young guys like Dunn more opportunities and Clifford should have been selected moths earlier. I also agree with the Morgan assessment. I called for Morgan to play halfback and shift JT to five-eighth (second receiver) role. But JT certainly wasn't the cause of the Cowboys woes in 2018
Adz Sportz
Roar Guru
2019 is the big test for Greens coaching career. I guess we'll find out how good he truly is.
Adz Sportz
Roar Guru
Spot on 3 R M. I think the Cowboys are lacking one high quality front rower to back up McLean and Scott (not including Taumololo). Bolton looked tired, slow and lacked enthusiasm in 2018. Jensen is quality but is still developing but the challenge for Green is getting the best out of Francis Molo. He's a beast, has all the potential but for whatever reason, he looked out of his depth at NRL level. Dunn and Wright are 2 other back rowers with all the potential, especially Dunn, that kid has skills, Green needs to give them opportunities and develop them into NRL quality players.
Adz Sportz
Roar Guru
Te Maire Martin is talented, but his kicking game needs significant improvement. JT always had impeccable finesse with his kicking game at a young age, including when he played with the bulldogs. A young JT oozed confidence in his own ability and was so competitive, where as Martin occasionally lacked authority to demand the ball and back himself the way JT did at 23. I'm in no way knocking Martin, he's got all the potential, but I see Clifford as more of a natural footballer with natural talent. He's in the same mold as Ash Taylor, but I think he'll be better than Ash.
Adz Sportz
Roar Guru
Thanks Barry... I think the entire 2017 season was a bit of an anomaly for the Cowboys. Because they had so many injuries, including their entire spine spending time on the sidelines at some point during the season, as well as players dropping like flies during games, it was hard to get a gauge on how their structures going. If you go back to the back end of 2016, their form really started to drop off despite managing to qualify for the prelim, but they lost a few of their remaining games during the regular season then as well
Adz Sportz
Roar Guru
Fish, completely agree with your assessment on Taumalolo and Hess. Imagine tired little halves confronted with a freshened Taumalolo on for his second stint, steamrolling towards them. But as long as he's not restricted to 1 side of the field otherwise he'd be wasted. Keep him at lock and allow him to roam on both sides as well as the middle
Adz Sportz
Roar Guru
If they are able to secure Holmes, it won't be until 2020. But, add Gela-Mosby into the mix, who's speed was lethal down their left edge when he finally got the chance, there backline will look a lot more potent than it did this past season.
Adz Sportz
Roar Guru
Morgan, McLean, Hess... they may give Cooper another series. Feldt would have to be close to the next in line for a wing spot if the regulars go down injured or suspended. Barba could get a look in if he starts the season on fire.... but its doubtful.
Adz Sportz
Roar Guru
I think the 2018 season set the Eels back a couple of years. I agree Green's roster has a lot more talent and experience.
Adz Sportz
Roar Guru
The problem was kids like Mitch Dunn was selected for 1 game, clearly proved how talented he was but he wasn't given another opportunity. Gela-Mosby is another, sure he had his on and off field issues, but his speed down their left edge earned him a few tries, made a huge difference in attack, including the intercept match winner in JT's last game
Adz Sportz
Roar Guru
The next part of Taumalolo's game he tried to develop was an offload. Problem was, his running game is so destructive that opposition teams were going into the tackle with 3 or 4 players to shut him down so offloading became pretty difficult. He's still conistantly running over 200 metres per game, has pace and a dangerous sidestep. I'd like to see Greeny give him a little more freedom to roam down both the left and right edges where he could be more dangerous
Adz Sportz
Roar Guru
With Qld's forward stocks as low as they've been for years, Jensen could ern himself a bench spot if he can take his game to the next level and actually get recognised. Green has to manage him right as well. I pointed out how poorly green managed Hampton, same could be said for they way he used Jensen
Adz Sportz
Roar Guru
No Rob, at no point did I say they made the finals by chance. I'm talking about Greens playing structures, not the effort and the heart shown by the team to qualify for the finals then to make it all the way to the GF. If I was to be more thorough, opposition teams began to work out those structures at the backend of 2016. The fact the Cowboys were successful in 2017 was thanks largely by their dominant forward pack. They dominated the middle third over all opposition for most of the season, then add a dream run of form from Michael Morgan that most players could only dream of and they made the GF, which cancelled out the lack of effectiveness of those structures. 2018 proves my point.