Rabbitohs ripped off by the refs
The South Sydney Rabbitohs were the victims of refereeing error in Round 2, costing them the win. The Rabbits ended up going down to…
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Harlan Kemp is a writer of novels, screenplays and technical writing. He also loves cricket and football, especially the Cowboys. So he thought he'd try writing about that too.
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The South Sydney Rabbitohs were the victims of refereeing error in Round 2, costing them the win. The Rabbits ended up going down to…
The Cowboys beat Canterbury 24-16 last night at an eerie ANZ Stadium. They wouldn’t have beaten many other teams. It was a squalid second…
Many experienced pundits predicted a Raiders premiership in 2020. Many more had them top of the ladder somewhere come finals time. But others had…
The new-look Cowboys opened season 2020 with a loss to the Broncos on Friday. And unlike most of 2019, their attack wasn’t responsible. A…
Ask any serious NRL observer and they'll tell you the most intriguing through-line of the North Queensland Cowboys since 2017 has been Paul Green's…
Am I the only one who thinks the Broncos season story is still in the second act?
That’s a tough draw for Brisbane, and it would only take one or two losses for their memories to flash back to last season. I’m not saying it’s likely, but the Broncos could honestly lose each of their remaining matches and go out the back door again.
Mathematical chances: NRL premiership race down to seven - and that’s probably being charitable
Cowboys v Eels is the game of the round (well, maybe Rabbits and Broncos), and most people are tipping a close one.
But consider this. If the Cowboys’ new-found goal line defence turns up at a near-sold out home ground, with a new focus on transitions, a forecast temp of 21 degrees at kick-off, and an attack that is leading the NRL is most offensive stats across the last seven weeks, they could put a very big score on Parramatta.
Cowboys by 31+ is paying 26 bucks and over. I’ve got 10 to spend.
The Roar’s NRL expert tips and predictions Round 20: Plethora of stars back in action as teams fight for their place in the Top 8
Three of those players are ex-Cowboys.
Arguably at least two would be playing NRL for NQ right now.
Maybe that says there’s plenty of depth around the league. Maybe it says the Cowboys are a strong club. Maybe it says the salary cap is working. Or maybe retention decisions have been questionable?
Best recruits of 2023: Retention decisions just as important when it comes to factors that make or break a team’s title hopes
I don’t have a fundamental issue with taking HIA decisions away from clubs. But what concerns me is an individual watching remotely overruling a test done on field by a trained professional.
As soon as the independent doctor becomes involved it’s off the field and wait 15 mins. Why not have independent trainers that can conduct an independent on-field test. That might eliminate the overreach we see happen.
Hagan’s Round 1 Talking Points: Concussion checks, Dolphins dazzling, Ponga at pivot, Penrith’s GF hangover
The yo-yo effect. Right.
As a Cowboy supporter, I’m always weary of the yo-yo. After two GFs in three years, a lot of us went into 2018 expecting another. The 2019, 20 and 21 seasons were poor, yet I for one started each year still expecting finals. By 2022, I had finally conceded we weren’t finals bound. Well…
So how much of a surprise was that 2022 campaign under Todd Payten? Did his first season in charge tell us anything?
Couple of things to note: If it’s true a side’s most important player is its general and playmaker, Michael Morgan’s forced retirement after two games of the 2021 season sure didn’t help Payten’s first year. The Cowboys started the season 0-4. Then, arguably, Payten’s system started to work, and the Cowboys recovered, winning 6 of the next 8. By Origin, the Cowboys were 6-6. When Payten took the reigns he probably knew it would take time to make his mark on the side. And without a Test and Origin quality halfback and club captain, it couldn’t be sustained.
If the yo-yo effect is prevalent within seasons, not just between them, it was exemplified by the second half of 2021. Cowboys lost 11 of the final 12 games and finished 15th.
What does Payten do? He recruits the closest Morgan replacement he can. The experienced, methodical, underrated and reliable Townsend. Chad might not have played Origin or Test football like Morgan, but his injection clearly worked.
Going out on a limb here. If Townsend stays fit, Payten’s system gets its third chance to succeed. And the Cowboys make the 23 GF.
Cowboys 2023 Outlook: After rapid rise from basement to penthouse, repeat success on horizon for Payten's posse
The part that interests me is defining what one means by excel.
If you mean win the Dally M Halfback of the year or take your side to a premiership, the list of players doing that in their first couple of seasons is pretty small.
Trying to fit a quantitative peg into a qualitative hole will only get you so far. I just thought it would be interesting.
Why build an NRL halfback when you can buy one?
Hampton’s the only weakness in that backline – and that’s only because he’s out of position. Let him compete for number 3 or number 14 and bring in a legitimate winger…then you’ve got one of the strongest backlines in the NRL (if mostly untested together).
Yes, Hampton’s played FB for the Cowboys before (and so the intent might be to interchange with Holmes in the early games). But so has Drinkwater, Feldt and Morgan. The Cowboys feel short one or two legitimate wingers.
The current squad should be legitimate contenders for the crown this year. If it turns out they’re not contenders and miss the finals, it’s only natural you start examining game plans and selections. Not Morgan’s kicking game.
Why I'm not sold on the Cowboys in 2020
When I saw the headline, I was ready to disagree. But I see your primary concern and I realise it worries me too.
Paul Green has said he went back to the drawing board. He’s said he recognised the need to reinvent the attack. Then he picks Ben Hampton on the wing. I’m a huge Hampton fan, but he’s not a winger.
Paul Green will always be a hero in the North. No matter what happens he brought home that first title. But, you’re, right, if the Cowboys don’t fire this season, he’s probably gone by 2021.
Why I'm not sold on the Cowboys in 2020
I too think the Cowboys will do better and make the eight. (Full disclosure, I also said that in 2006, 2018, 2023 etc. etc.) But my concern is the reasoning – that NQ will fly out of the blocks in 2024.
Just like the truism that you never write off the Storm, it is also true that the Cowboys just don’t start well. Doesn’t stop the pundits, and a fast start is predicated, like clockwork, every preseason shortly after the draw is released.
But in 30 years, the Cowboys’ only fast starts are ancient history. 1998: 5-1. 2005: 6-2. 2006: 6-0. I guess 2016’s 7-2 start wasn’t bad, but began as 2-2. Even in 2015’s premiership season, the Cowboys were 0-3 and staring down the barrel of 0-4 until, well, Thurston did Thurston things. Every year someone writes that the Cowboys start with four out of five games in Queensland and three home games and play the Titans and obviously should be 6-0 by April. It’s just that it never happens.
(Well, once.)(Ever.)
Predicting the 2024 NRL season - Panthers' era over, Dragons to get spoon, Cowboys rising - and the stars under most pressure