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They have struggled to compete with the other top-eight teams and former international Brent Tate warns the Cowboys will need to go up another level to match it with the big guns in the finals.
The Cowboys’ turnaround has been one of the biggest storylines of the season, rising from 15th to third after many experts had tipped them for the wooden spoon.
Despite producing some brilliant footy to be one game away from finishing the regular season in second or third spot, their record against the other top-eight teams is 4-5 this year heading into Saturday night’s Townsville tussle with a NSW Cup-strength Penrith side.
If they are going to be seen as contenders and not pretenders, Tate believes they need to raise their intensity.
“If they are going to make a real dent in the finals, I think they are going to have to lift another notch or two, which is going to be a big challenge for them,” said Tate.
“We’ll have to wait and see how many gears they’ve got left. And that’s going to be the challenge whether they have got more gears to be able to do that.
“Have they got it in them? I don’t know. But they’ve surprised me all year with the way that they played. So, there’s no reason why they can’t.”
Despite all of the success, the Cowboys have lost to the Panthers, Roosters, Sharks and Bunnies, having only beaten the Raiders, Storm and Eels among the current top eight.
“That’s where the challenge is, they haven’t beaten all of those top teams. And they’re the teams that they have got to beat. They are going to have to find another couple of gears to get up and beat those really good sides,” added Tate.
Another obstacle for their finals chances is the amount of travel they will face. Their road record in 2022 of 8-4 stacks up well against 8-3 at home and Tate doesn’t see them using the tyranny of distance as a reason for failure.
Brent Tate (Photo by Brett Hemmings/Getty Images)
“Travelling is hard, especially after a long year,” said Tate, who covered many miles playing for Brisbane, the Warriors and the Cowboys.
“The players are used to it, they know what they are doing. And sometimes it’s good to get away for those big games, away from home, you’ve got no distractions, you can just concentrate on footy.
“It’s definitely a factor. They won’t be using that as an excuse that’s for sure.”
The shift on the field from last season to now has been phenomenal, with the side’s speed, fitness and defence all huge areas of improvement. A lot of the credit for their transformation has gone the way of coach Todd Payten.
“Todd has totally done a really good job of bringing them all together and getting them where they are in the moment,” said Tate.
“He put them through a tough pre-season where they’ve had to work really hard. But, you know, it’s paid dividends the hard work has paid off. And it’s one thing about footy if you work hard, you usually get rewarded for it.”
The entire squad have been praised for their unity and cohesion, with everyone knowing their role and pulling their weight. The old heads have stood up, the young ones have made names for themselves, and the new guys look like they have been there forever, like five-eighth Tom Dearden.
“He’s had a huge season, from where he was, where he’d been to where he is now. I think he’s done well,” said Tate.
“I think all those young guys that have come through have really added to the group, I think they’ve really given the older guys a new lease on life by the way they’ve been able to step up and play.
Tom Dearden (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
“The team have probably surprised everyone. I thought we could be a top-eight team if we could keep everyone fit and healthy on the paddock, especially on our big games. I was really confident they could make the eight but to be a chance of finishing second, and even making the top four, they exceeded everyone’s expectations.”
Sunday’s match between the Sharks and the Newcastle will likely hold the key to where the Cowboys finish. Regardless, they will be hoping for a solid victory in their game on Saturday night against Penrith in order to do everything they can to keep their top-two chances alive.
There has been a lot of talk surrounding Panthers coach Ivan Cleary resting 13 of his stars but Payten said he would have done the same.
“They have earnt the right to do what they want,” said Payten on Friday. “We’re not taking them lightly. We’ve got a job to do. Controlling the ball, being well disciplined, not letting the opposition out of their end with cheap penalties and defending our try line well.”
(Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
Dearden underwent surgery for a ruptured testicle and missed last week’s loss against the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
“He trained on Tuesday, trained again today, he got through that, and we are going to wait and see how he pulls up tonight,” said Payten. “We are going to keep him in the 19 and then make the call tomorrow.
“If there is any doubt, we will sit him out.”
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