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The Cowboys were back in the winner’s circle, securing their third win of the season with a gutsy 18-16 victory over the Knights in Townsville on Saturday night.
The home side have struggled this season to replicate their successful form of 2022, with many wondering if it was a case of second-year syndrome. But the Cowboys showed a determination that has been lacking in 2023, including some desperate scrambling goal-line defence at the end of the game that saw them take home the two points.
“That was some heart-in-your-mouth stuff,” fullback Scott Drinkwater said of the final minutes of the match.
“We put ourselves under so much pressure, but we just kept turning up.
“We had to be desperate….a loss there could have really hurt our season.”
Drinkwater was back to his electric best, setting up two tries and safe under the high ball. Valentine Holmes and Tom Dearden were also solid throughout the entire match, and while missing wrecking ball Jason Taumalolo was always going to be difficult, Reuben Cotter and Reece Robson were strong up the middle and led the way for the forwards.
“Very brave performance in the end,” said Cowboys coach Todd Payten.
“We had to grind away, it was a gritty win, it was all effort. It wasn’t pretty but the effort and the sacrifice for each other is still there.”
The night didn’t quite go to plan for Kalyn Ponga, who returned from injury for his 100th game in the NRL. Everyone was eager to see the Knights captain back on the field after a series of concussions and a medical visit to Canada earlier this year. While his return began slowly, his presence on the field after coming off the bench in the 25th minute became more noticeable as the game went on.
“Our connections with him will get better,” said Knight coach Adam O’Brien after the match.
“The more times he touched the ball tonight, the better he was looking, which is exciting.”
The first try looked like the Cowboys of old when Drinkwater broke through the Knights’ defensive line to find Robson backing up on the inside to score. But it was the Cowboys of 2023 soon after, with Dearden dropping the ball off the restart, and Knights winger Greg Marzhew scoring moments later.
But as the first half went on, the Cowboys began to click and looked more in control. Ponga’s inclusion into the game didn’t have the desired effect early on, with the returning star looking timid and hardly getting his hands on the ball. The Knights finished the first 40 minutes with twice the number of errors as the home side, who went to the sheds with a 12-6 lead but it could have easily been more.
It looked like it could unravel for the Cowboys early in the second half when Murray Taulagi found himself in the sin bin after an unnecessary tackle on Dane Gagai. Two quick tries to the Knights saw them take a 16-12 lead. But the Cowboys hit back through Dearden and took the lead once more with an 18-16 scoreline.
And the Cowboys of old once again kicked into gear. With Ponga full of confidence and the Knights throwing everything they had in the final stanza, the Cowboys left absolutely nothing in the tank to keep their opponent from scoring.
It was a clunky effort for the Knights, who were their own worst enemy in the end. A 69 per cent completion rate combined with 13 errors and a mountain of missed opportunities proved too hard to overcome.
“There are way too many errors in our game,” said O’Brien.
“We have to execute a lot better. We were very sloppy with the ball in the first half.
“They gave us enough opportunities. Our lack of discipline and our ball handling has to improve.”
As for the Cowboys, while this match was nowhere near perfect and there is still a long way to go, this win could be the turning point they needed to get their year back on track.
Many have proved that second-year syndrome is just a myth, but it’s not looking that way so far for the Cowboys.
After surprising the entire competition in 2022 finishing one game shy of the grand final, the Cowboys have once again been a surprise packet this season but for all the wrong reasons.
Finding themselves in 14th position before kick-off, the Cowboys have now won just three games in 2023. While struggling with injuries and suspension like the majority of teams, the effort areas and resilience of last season seem to have vanished, while errors and ill-discipline have crept in.
But Saturday’s match showed something that seems to be lacking, which is heart and turning up for each other. It will be interesting to see how the Cowboys follow up on this win next week against the Sharks.
He silenced his critics last season and became one of the buys of the year. The veteran halfback led the Cowboys around beautifully in 2022, became the perfect mentor for young Dearden, and was undoubtedly one of the reasons for the side’s surprising surge up the competition ladder.
But as the side struggles to live up to the expectations of last year’s success, so too does their number seven. Townsend seemed to be in everything and playing effortlessly, but now seems ever so quiet and struggles to get the little things right.
With the club currently well below where everyone thought they would be, they will be desperately looking to Townsend for the guidance and structure he provided last year.
His season has been surrounded by questions, with another one ready to be answered.
With news circling about his new five-eighth role, many wondered if the switch would prove fruitful or be a disaster. The Knights’ skipper only made it until Round 2 before another concussion forced him to the sidelines.
While his performance on Saturday night showed that he has recovered and is confident on the field again, the latest question now is if the incumbent Queensland fullback will hold onto his jersey come State of Origin I.
While memories of Ponga’s close-to-faultless performance during the Maroons’ Game Three win to lock up the 2022 series are still fresh in all of our minds, current form must count for something when it comes to selection. Broncos fullback Reece Walsh and Dolphins number one Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow are hardly putting a foot wrong at the moment and would surely be making the decision difficult for Queensland coach Billy Slater.
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