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Opinion
So many of us had the North Queensland Cowboys marked down for the wooden spoon this season.
Countless fans predicted Todd Payten would be the first coach to lose his job. Many were certain Jason Taumalolo was hating life up in Townsville, disgruntled with his new coach and looking to get out of his contract. And we questioned why on earth the club signed Chad Townsend.
Well. Haven’t we all got egg on our faces?
Enjoying their view from third on the ladder, the Cowboys are sitting on five wins from eight matches and playing some brilliant footy. Scoring an average of 22 points and only having 12 points put on them each game, they are shaping up to be real contenders.
The team are gelling right across the park, and everyone is doing their job perfectly. Scott Drinkwater is in career-best form, Kyle Feldt is scoring tries at will, and Tom Dearden is playing alongside and learning from veteran Townsend and together they are effortlessly guiding the Cowboys around the park.
Valentine Holmes seems to have found a time machine and is playing like he has taken years off his age.
(Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
Many thought it was the wrong call by Payten to move him to the centres to make way for Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, but he is having an absolute field day in his new role.
And as for the Hammer? He played 14 minutes last week after coming back from injury and still scored the same number of points as the Newcastle Knights did in their past two games.
And how about the big boys? Coen Hess had a little bit of ‘looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane’ about him the past couple of seasons, but since his move to the front row – my goodness!
Jeremiah Nanai is showing us he is a champion of the future, and Reuben Cotter is in such fine for that he’s being discussed for State of Origin.
And as for JT13? Whatever was allegedly happening in the background last year is obviously a distant memory. Lolo is back to his wrecking ball best, playing a million minutes a game, and he just looks so God-damn happy.
Even Payten, who has copped an absolute hammering in the media and was told to get in line at Centrelink, seems quite pleased with the world.
After he has chewed the crap out of his gum in the coaches’ box, we are seeing that big Cheshire-cat smile of his more and more in the post-match press conference.
It seems despite what everyone around him was saying, he knew what he was doing all along – he just needed all the pieces of the puzzle to come together.
The Cowboys are a far cry from the team that finished second last in 2021. And you know what? I am so happy for them.
Actually, everyone seems to be, which doesn’t happen often in the NRL. Very rarely do other fans seem pleased when opposing clubs are doing well.
(Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
The Penrith Panthers have been far and away the best team over the past few seasons, yet there is so much anger towards them from other supporters.
Frustrated at their success, annoyed about their over-the-top celebrations, irritated about Nathan Cleary being a supposed protected species and just praying that someone knocks them off their perch.
The Melbourne Storm has a similar feel, with many NRL fans never warming to the club. Despite having success up the yin-yang and a conveyor belt of never-ending talent, people can’t get past the salary-cap scandals or that they used to have a second referee on the field in the form of Cameron Smith.
The Cronulla Sharks are having a great season, and their fans are ecstatic to be back in the winner’s circle. But it seems not many outside of the shire share their enthusiasm.
The peptide debacle will always hang over their heads, and like Smith at the Storm, the fact that Paul Gallen was at the club is enough of a reason for opposing fans to not show them any love.
Many are rejoicing in the fact that the Rabbitohs and the Roosters aren’t going as well as they should, and the Eels always cop a grilling whether they are succeeding or not.
There is absolutely none of that negativity around the Cowboys. Fans from other clubs are genuinely pleased they are going well. Some are even now calling them their second team.
(Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
They’ve never been a hated team. They have always had a lot of warmth around them. And not just because of where they are based.
The club has produced legends like Johnathan Thurston, Michael Morgan, Matt Scott and Gavin Cooper – each one adored far and wide.
And unless you were wearing a Broncos jersey in 2015, you were more than likely ecstatic after the Cowboys’ golden-point victory in the grand final.
I know it’s early days, and there is still a lot of footy to be played. But if they keep pumping out top-notch performances as beautifully as they have been, there will be nothing stopping these guys booking their spot in another premiership battle.
And that is brilliant for our game.
I’m really happy for the Cowboys and all of their of success, and the fact they are proving so many of us wrong this season.
And if Saturday night’s game against my Knights goes as predicted, I won’t be sad to have lost to a team in such great form.
Oh, who am I kidding? I can’t back that up.
Public enemy number one this week, I’ll go back to being happy for them next week.