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South Sydney have slipped to a fourth defeat in five as the Cowboys recorded their first win outside of Queensland – and only their second away from Townsville – thanks to an inspired performance from fullback Scott Drinkwater.
After a slow first half, with only one try and a field goal leading to the unusual score of 0-5 to North Queensland, the visitors’ attack clicked into gear, with Val Holmes grabbing two and Drinkwater picking up two assists to go with four line breaks of his own.
The final score of 31-6 was a fair reflection of the run of the game. Souths could have no complaints.
It was a night to forget for the Bunnies, who have struggled badly through the Origin period. Cam Murray and Damien Cook, who backed up from Wednesday night, were both well below their best, while Latrell Mitchell remains sidelined with an injury picked up in Blues camp.
The Cowboys, on the other hand, had four who were still nursing their Caxton Street hangovers – plus Blues hooker Reece Robson – but were excellent. Drinkwater bossed the contest from the back and was the game’s outstanding player, as he has been in most Cowboys games this year.
Todd Payten will be delighted with his side’s defensive resolve, which shut down one of the best attacks in the NRL while still managing to create at the other end. Jason Demetriou, on the other hand, will wonder where that offensive threat has gone.
There was a moment, with 45 seconds or so to play in the first half, where Lachlan Ilias attempted a chip and chase inside his own half.
The chip and chase, you’ll remember, is the last refuge of the scoundrel, the play you pull when you’ve run out of ideas. That fairly summed up Souths’ attack. Nothing worked for them in the opening 40.
It didn’t come off, and ended up costing them, too, as Scott Drinkwater slotted a bonus field goal from the resulting field position as they clock ran down.
The Bunnies had actually defended well, but their usually lethal attack totally departed them. It’s hard to diagnose why.
There’s the obvious absence of Latrell Mitchell, but they’ve become accustomed to their star man missing out and usually compensate well enough.
Losing Cam Murray to a HIA will also have blunted their effectiveness, but that was just fifteen minutes in 80 of underperformance.
Ilias did eventually show some spark with a smart solo try, but he has struggled with the absences of Murray, Mitchell and Cody Walker. Perhaps that is to be expected of a young player who is used to being alongside such elite talent.
Blake Taaffe, too, is young and is only ever going to be a deputy at the club. He’s definitely a first grader, but not at South Sydney given the strength they have in the spine.
Without their attack, Souths are nowhere near the top of the table. They have massively improved their defence, but it’s their ability with the ball that is truly elite.
The last tackle options were terrible, the pace in the attack just a little off and the execution sloppy. Cody Walker throwing directly into touch behind Richie Kennar was emblematic of the wider issue.
The last few weeks have seen their defence slide badly, and where once they could outscore opponents, that’s now gone.
Demetriou has serious questions to ask ahead of the run-in, because this is now one win in five for his side, with a very dangerous trip to New Zealand coming next time out.
If Souths have struggled with their attack, North Queensland have finally found some solidity in their defence.
The best version of the Cowboys in 2022 was always built on a defence-first mentality, with the attack left to a barrage of back five metres and the hope that one of Scott Drinkwater or Jeremiah Nanai would create something from nothing.
That lack of offensive spark was ultimately what cost them in the Preliminary Final against Parramatta, but it was the defence that delivered them that far in the first place.
North Queensland started 2023 poorly, and Payten repeatedly referenced how their defence wasn’t where they needed it to be. Now, with a little more cohesion in the ranks and some key names back, it’s all coming together again.
The key to this might be Drinkwater. He’s one of the worst defenders in the NRL – on a one-to-one level at least – and his poor tackling has often been the major knock on him when discussing higher honours.
But organisationally, he’s right up there with the best, flitting from one side of the field to the other to marshal the line and make sure the numbers are where they should be.
It was Drinkwater who allowed Souths’ only try – remember, he still can’t tackle – but more than made up for it in organisation. Oh, and it helps if you create so much in attack, too.