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Opinion
The North Queensland Cowboys have proved an enigma in the 2023 NRL season. Discovering the root cause of their issues would take a detective the likes of Hercule Poirot many years. There are many worrying symptoms, however, that point strongly towards lack of discipline being the main cause of their struggles.
The Cowboys are full of talent up and down the park, but they seem to have little discipline. Aside from Tom Dearden, Jake Granville, Valentine Holmes and Reuben Cotter, the rest of the side has seemed disinterested.
Individual players have stepped up in various games and individuals like Kyle Feldt are improving as the season goes on, but besides the four players mentioned previously, nobody can hold his head high and claim that he’s played each match to the best of his ability.
The two big symptoms that point to a larger problem are tackling and discipline. The last three matches (two losses and a win) have shown both the good and bad sides of the Cowboys. Two weeks ago against the Warriors (a game the Cowboys lost), they missed 37 tackles, conceded nine penalties and made seven errors compared to 16, seven and 10 by the Warriors.
Then, during Anzac Round at home against the Knights, the Cowboys missed 21 tackles, conceded just three penalties and made 14 errors compared to 47, seven and 10 for the Knights. They won that game.
(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Against the Sharks this week, the Cowboys missed 38 tackles, conceded nine penalties, made nine errors and had two players sin-binned, both for the second time this season.
Even worse, many of the Cowboys players seemed disinterested, not wanting to be out there playing.
Put simply, Todd Payten’s side are playing more like Mr Hyde than Dr Jekyll at the moment and, as the coach says every press conference, they are beating themselves with their discipline.
Unfortunately, the worst offenders are some of their senior players. Coen Hess and Jeremiah Nanai have both been sin-binned twice this season.
Sure, Cowboys fans (myself included) can bleat about whether some of the penalties deserved sin-binning, but the officials are cracking down on the way tackles are being made and on player safety. Both of them have played enough footy to know that and to be able to adjust.
Similarly, Murray Taulagi had no excuse for his brain snap against the Knights and was fortunate not to have missed time for his shoulder charge.
Regardless of these offences, the players seem not to care very much about their actions because they happen over and over again on the field. I can’t profess to know everything about footy, but there is something not right in Townsville.
The club’s coaches clearly need to figure out a different way to speak to or challenge the team from week to week as their current way of speaking does not work.
After the Sharks game, a reporter asked Scott Drinkwater a question about his high shot on Siosifa Talakai for which he was placed on report. Drinkwater, totally confused, turned to his coach and asked, “Was I placed on report?”
A bemused and embarrassed Payten hid his head in his hands and nodded. The reporter and press conference concluded with, “Well, it mustn’t have been that bad then.” Drinkwater’s inability to recall something for which he was placed on report summarises the Cowboys season.
Advice, help and training seems to go in one ear and out the other, leading to complacency and a drop in standards across the board.
When will the team improve? Only when each player commits to playing for each other, to improving discipline and standards and to turning up each week the best version of themselves that they can be.
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