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Opinion

Cowboys selection soliloquy

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Roar Rookie
11th March, 2020
11

Ask any serious NRL observer and they’ll tell you the most intriguing through-line of the North Queensland Cowboys since 2017 has been Paul Green’s team selections.

Some of the team lists have, quite frankly, confounded. Injuries and representative selection play their part, sure.

But what has been going on at the selection table?

Fan favourites like Gideon Gela-Mosby and Enari Tuala could barely get a game despite terrible shortages of outside backs. Coen Hess spent time in the centres last year, but Murray Taulagi played only six games in 2019.

The year before, Justin O’Neill and Kane Linnett struggled. But O’Neill played almost the entire season.

Every Tuesday, the team list would come out and Cowboys fans, rightly or wrongly, would say, ‘here we go again’.

And then there’s the spine.

The halves have been unsettled since Johnathan Thurston’s early end to 2017. JT was back for 2018, but we know what happened to Michael Morgan’s form – it suffered from the GOAT’s reintroduction. Since 2017, Morgan’s constant partner in the halves has been change.

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Te Maire Martin and Jake Clifford played their parts and a few others moonlighted. Now Scott Drinkwater gets a chance. Morgan, of course, has had his injuries too.

But hooker selection has baffled for years and is demonstrative of the selection methodology some are critical of.

Jake Granville was a big part of the reason North Queensland took home the trophy after a breakout 2015. But his form more recently would have seen him playing NSW Cup anywhere else.

A few times Green dropped Granville to the bench (even though he literally kept the number 9 jersey). Rory Kostjasyn, Ray Thompson, Kurt Baptiste, Ben Hampton and Reuben Cotter couldn’t offer more at 9, according to Green. But Granville’s immunity to the coach’s selection axe has stood out.

Is Granville’s experience outweighing three years of lacklustre attack? Were other options simply not performing? Note that the Cowboys recruited Reece Robson in the offseason.

He played well in the trials. He’s named at 14 for Friday night. Draw your own conclusions. Then remember, this is the Cowboys we’re talking about.

What of Ben Hampton on the wing for this weekend’s season opener against the Broncos? He’s played wing before. But where are the Cowboys other choices out wide?

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The Cowboys have the roster to play finals football in 2020. If they fail to do so, plenty of pundits will look at team selections and Green’s game plan.

Josh McGuire

(Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

So what do we look for? I suggest we let 2015 be our guide.

Lachlan Coote was back from 2014’s season-ending knee injury, having been brought to the club to replace Matt Bowen. Did Paul Green throw him right in for Round 1?

No. The head coach stuck with the spine that finished 2014 strongly: Morgan at fullback and Rob Lui in the halves with Thurston.

By Round 3, Coote was in, Morgan was wearing the 6 and the Cowboys were on the way to premiership glory. But Green gave the incumbents two weeks to earn their spots for the season ahead.

Don’t be surprised if Robson and Cotter take the hooking duties by the Eels game.

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And Hampton may fill in at fullback for periods while Valentine Holmes develops match fitness, keeping him on the wing. But if O’Neill ends up out on the fringe with Jason Taumalolo in the centres, don’t be completely surprised.

This is Paul Green we’re talking about.

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