Supporting North Queensland: Round 10

THERE are many different theories as to why the North Queensland Cowboys have never really fulfilled their potential.
Some may say it's being big fish in a relatively small pond: Townsville is the smallest city with an NRL team.
Some may say it doesn't help when your best player is routinely pulled out for representative matches.
Some conspiracy theorists will suggest that the team suffers from bias, suggesting that many penalty decisions against their team wouldn't be blown if they were a Sydney-based team. These conspiracy theorists still probably believe that Harold Holt was kidnapped by the CIA as a direct result of discovering that the Apollo Moon landings were faked by an alien film crew at Area 51, later surfacing to run a grocery store with Elvis in Havana.

What can't be argued with is that the Cowboys have a woeful away record. Consider these win-draw-loss splits: 4-0-11 in Canberra; 41-2-97 in New South Wales; 5-0-11 in New Zealand; and a dreadful 1-0-8 in Victoria. Even in Queensland, where figures are skewed by playing at home, the Cowboys still only have a 101-3-131 record.

Bear this in mind as I tell you that North Queensland were favourites against the Newcastle Knights - in Newcastle. Granted Newcastle were missing stars Kurt Gidley and Danny Buderus, but the idea of the Cowboys being favourites away from home showed how much excitement had built after the strong performance against the Dragons last week. Unusually good away form helped as well, with the only loss away from Townsville being against South Sydney two weeks previously.

As so often happens though, it was the underdogs that started stronger. Twice Newcastle crossed the line; twice they were held up by some strong defence. Finally it was third time lucky as Newcastle fullback Darius Boyd took advantage of some broken play to send Junior Sa'u in under the posts.

This seemed to wake North Queensland, with skipper Matt Scott denied courtesy of a double movement and Kane Linnett's effort knocked back by the video red. Third time lucky was the charm again though; Ash Graham crossing in the corner after some quick hands spread the ball out to his wing.

Quick hands worked again soon after, with Brent Tate sending Ray Thompson over after a burst down the right flank. Mentioned as a possible replacement for injured Maroons winger Jharal Yow Yeh, Tate showed he still has plenty of pace with this run.

This set the Cowboys up to take a halftime lead before Newcastle captain Chris Houston took matters into his own hands, charging over from close range to leave the scores 12-12 at the break.

This is traditionally where the Cowboys' heads would go down, allowing the opposition to build up an unassailable lead. Like the away record though, something seems different about this year's Cowboys. After the break they made most of the running, eventually scoring after Michael Morgan plucked one out of the air to put the Cowboys back in front. Jonathan Thurston helped extend the lead with a long, flat pass for Graham to score in the corner. While most tip Tate for the Queensland wing spot, Graham's competition-leading 11 tries for the season suggest he wouldn't look out of place with a maroon jersey.

Scrambling defence stopped Newcastle from closing the gap; at the other end Boyd's jersey-tug on Matty Bowen did the same thing, albeit illegally. While it stopped Bowen scoring from a good chip-and-chase, Thurston's penalty sealed the victory before a team game of soccer lead to Gavin Cooper sliding in for an 80th-minute try/fluke.

So another away match, another away win for the NRL's worst travellers. The Cowboys play last-placed Parramatta next weekend minus their Origin stars; probably the best team to play at this time. While the Cowboys will be without Thurston, Scott and probably Tate and James Tamou, the strong form of Thompson, Bowen and Graham suggests they can consolidate their top-four position.

Is this the year potential becomes fact?

NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS 32 (Graham 2, Thompson, Morgan, Cooper tries; Thurston 6/6 goals) defeated Newcastle Knights 12