WENT to my first-ever sporting event at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) the other week. A struggling Melbourne Demons hosted a rebuilding St Kilda in what promised to be kinda dull.
And so it proved. The Demons fought hard in their best performance until then but still managed to come up short. With the result a foregone conclusion my mate Wal and I decided to hightail it back to the pub for some serious drinky-poos and telling each other what good blokes we are.
The next day I texted a Demons friend who couldn't make it out to the game. She asked me how I enjoyed it and I had to reply that it was pretty shit - and with a Victorian father I've followed it pretty much my whole life.
Her response was interesting though:
"Crappy weather and no one there. I watched it on tv."
There were 24,798 people at the ground.
FAST FORWARD to last Wednesday evening. Queensland played New South Wales in the first match of rugby league's State of Origin series with the Blues trying to stop Queensland from racking up their seventh consecutive series win. The match had been controversially moved away from Sydney in an attempt to both boost rugby league's coffers and Victorian profile, and it worked to an extent with 56,021 cramming into Etihad Stadium to beat the ground's all-time AFL attendance record 54,444 (St Kilda vs Geelong, round 14 2009).
Two days later the first-placed Melbourne Storm played the second-placed Brisbane Broncos at nearby AAMI Park. The Broncos rested three of their Origin stars but still had quality players like Peter Wallace, Ben Hannant and Matt Gillett. The Storm played all their Origin stars, including Queensland and Australian captain Cameron Smith; Queensland and Australian halfback Cooper Cronk; and the man many believe is the best ever, Queensland and Australian fullback Billy Slater.
Top of the table clash, home team with a total of one loss from 11 games, three of the best players in the world, including an all-time great.
There were around 13,200 people at the ground.
SO this all begs the question: is Melbourne really Australia's sports capital? Don't get me wrong, the Victorian capital hosts a number of world-class events each year. The Australian Open tennis, the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix, the AFL Grand Final, the Melbourne Cup and cricket's Boxing Day Test all call Melbourne home, but who's to say they wouldn't be as well attended if they were held in Brisbane, or even - dare I say it - Sydney?
All these events - other than the AFL grand final and Melbourne Cup - were once held interstate or not at all. The Australian Open moved permanently to Melbourne in 1972; Jeff Kennett engineered the Grand Prix move from Adelaide to Albert Park in 1996; while as recently as 1994 the Melbourne cricket Test began on Christmas Eve.
There's no doubt Melbourne puts on quite the show for these events; but still, could others do better?
Then there's the footy. While this table seems skewed towards AFL clubs (possibly on the grounds that only two Melbourne AFL venues are used), what it does show is that AFL's Sydney Swans get more per game than the NRL's Melbourne Storm. While the Swans are a handy side that could well ruffle a few feathers so to speak, do they truly have three of the game's modern-day greats? Adam Goodes yes, but anyone else there truly great?
Anyone there considered the best ever?
WHAT that comparison table does show though is that Melbourne is madly passionate about their AFL. Ridiculously so. But before the AFL fans start frothing at the mouth and saying how much better their game is than that rugby league rubbish (the reverse also applies by the way), they should ask themselves whether or not they've watched a game properly with someone who knows what's going on.
I reckon they haven't. And what should be galling is that Brisbane and Sydney seem more open to different sports - and thus more knowledgeable - than they are.
Tuesday 29 May 2012
Sunday 27 May 2012
Supporting North Queensland: Round 12
I CAN still remember sitting down to watch the North Queensland Cowboys on Channel 9 for the first time.
It was a Sunday game against the Wests Tigers at Campbelltown. I was living at the time in a small brick flat in Cooma NSW, a town not known for having many Cowboys fans. I can't remember too much about the match itself, although a a Google search reminds me the Cowboys won 24-12 in what was their first Channel 9 game since... well, since their first-ever game back in 1995. Back in 2004 I also didn't have an internet connection that would allow sneak peeks at the final score given Channel 9's curious commitment to not showing Sunday afternoon games live.
A lot's changed since then. In 2005 the Tigers made the finals and twice gained their revenge on the Cowboys, flogging them 50-6 in the first round of the finals before winning the grand final 30-16 in what remains both club's only grand final appearances.
More importantly for this match, the Cowboys still hadn't beaten the Tigers in Sydney since then; indeed, they'd only won two out of their last 10 matches against them. Early signs weren't that great, with Matty Bowen fumbling a Benji Marshall bomb of the Tigers' first set of six to allow Tim Moltzen to score. A Marshall penalty soon after and it seemed as though the tv might go off in favour of, well, pretty much anything else.
Give the Cowboys some quality possession though and they'll take advantage - Glenn Hall crossed first before Thurston held a pass back just long enough to send Antonio Winterstein over in the corner. Thurston continued his good form from Origin with the sideline conversion to give the Cowboys a 12-8 lead.
So four points up, three minutes from half-time, possession on the halfway line. Thurston receives the ball then notices Robbie Farah coming up for some unwanted attention. Thurston hurriedly passes to Bowen, who taps the ball out to the winger, who then runs through and puts the ball down under the posts. A lovely piece of play if you're a Tigers' fans - the winger at the end of the Bowen pass was former dual international Lote Tuqiri. Marshall added the extras to give the Tigers a 14-12 halftime lead.
The second half was worthy of any match, anywhere. Time and again the Tigers threw everything at the Cowboys' line; time and again desperate defence was all that stood between the Tigers and the matchwinner. Early in the second half Marshall made a break from a kick return, getting through everyone except forward James Tamou. Tamou belied his size, apparent speed and the fact he was coming off a sapping State of Origin debut earlier in the week to stop Marshall from bolting away.
Marshall would eventually have his way, crossing himself in the 57th minute to extend his team's lead before Tamou popped up again, this time with a 60m run that would have led to a try that play had a Cowboys back been within 10m of him. They arrived for the next play though: Thurston to Bowen to Graham for the try. Thurston again potted the sideline conversion to keep the Cowboys within 2 with 12 minutes to go.
That was as close as it would get. Wave after wave of Tigers attack wore down the Cowboys defence; Bowen managed to hold up Tigers' forward Chris Heighington over the line before Tim Moltzen finally put the game out of reach.
So the Cowboys' three-match winning streak came to an end, albeit in a highly entertaining game against a side many tipped as premiership favourites pre-season. While they had their chances and came up short, strong defence and the fact that four players were backing up from Origin means that this loss is one you don't get that disappointed about.
And who knows? Given the way both teams played you couldn't discount a 2005 grand final rematch in this year's final game.
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS 18 (Hall, Winterstein, Graham tries; Thurston 3/3 goals) lost to Wests Tigers 26.
It was a Sunday game against the Wests Tigers at Campbelltown. I was living at the time in a small brick flat in Cooma NSW, a town not known for having many Cowboys fans. I can't remember too much about the match itself, although a a Google search reminds me the Cowboys won 24-12 in what was their first Channel 9 game since... well, since their first-ever game back in 1995. Back in 2004 I also didn't have an internet connection that would allow sneak peeks at the final score given Channel 9's curious commitment to not showing Sunday afternoon games live.
A lot's changed since then. In 2005 the Tigers made the finals and twice gained their revenge on the Cowboys, flogging them 50-6 in the first round of the finals before winning the grand final 30-16 in what remains both club's only grand final appearances.
More importantly for this match, the Cowboys still hadn't beaten the Tigers in Sydney since then; indeed, they'd only won two out of their last 10 matches against them. Early signs weren't that great, with Matty Bowen fumbling a Benji Marshall bomb of the Tigers' first set of six to allow Tim Moltzen to score. A Marshall penalty soon after and it seemed as though the tv might go off in favour of, well, pretty much anything else.
Give the Cowboys some quality possession though and they'll take advantage - Glenn Hall crossed first before Thurston held a pass back just long enough to send Antonio Winterstein over in the corner. Thurston continued his good form from Origin with the sideline conversion to give the Cowboys a 12-8 lead.
So four points up, three minutes from half-time, possession on the halfway line. Thurston receives the ball then notices Robbie Farah coming up for some unwanted attention. Thurston hurriedly passes to Bowen, who taps the ball out to the winger, who then runs through and puts the ball down under the posts. A lovely piece of play if you're a Tigers' fans - the winger at the end of the Bowen pass was former dual international Lote Tuqiri. Marshall added the extras to give the Tigers a 14-12 halftime lead.
The second half was worthy of any match, anywhere. Time and again the Tigers threw everything at the Cowboys' line; time and again desperate defence was all that stood between the Tigers and the matchwinner. Early in the second half Marshall made a break from a kick return, getting through everyone except forward James Tamou. Tamou belied his size, apparent speed and the fact he was coming off a sapping State of Origin debut earlier in the week to stop Marshall from bolting away.
Marshall would eventually have his way, crossing himself in the 57th minute to extend his team's lead before Tamou popped up again, this time with a 60m run that would have led to a try that play had a Cowboys back been within 10m of him. They arrived for the next play though: Thurston to Bowen to Graham for the try. Thurston again potted the sideline conversion to keep the Cowboys within 2 with 12 minutes to go.
That was as close as it would get. Wave after wave of Tigers attack wore down the Cowboys defence; Bowen managed to hold up Tigers' forward Chris Heighington over the line before Tim Moltzen finally put the game out of reach.
So the Cowboys' three-match winning streak came to an end, albeit in a highly entertaining game against a side many tipped as premiership favourites pre-season. While they had their chances and came up short, strong defence and the fact that four players were backing up from Origin means that this loss is one you don't get that disappointed about.
And who knows? Given the way both teams played you couldn't discount a 2005 grand final rematch in this year's final game.
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS 18 (Hall, Winterstein, Graham tries; Thurston 3/3 goals) lost to Wests Tigers 26.
Monday 21 May 2012
Supporting North Queensland: Round 11
IT'S not often I try and convert the masses to the wonders of rugby league. For one, someone has to want to be converted, and those who don't follow rugby league tend do so for a reason.
But this was different. Raoul and Jess had come across from Perth for the Friday night's Prince concert and hadn't stopped smiling since. The plan for the Saturday was simple: Brisbane's Paniyiri Greek festival; a few beers in West End before heading into the city for a colleague's farewell.
And an in-depth introduction to the Cowboys.
All day I plugged the Cowboys. Talked up their poor record against every single team in the comp. There were plans to compare them to the similarly-hapless Fremantle Dockers, before Raoul suggested that being West Coast Eagles fans they didn't particularly want to hear about it.
Most of all I talked up the legend that is Matty Bowen. Thirty years old and coming back from some horror injuries. The man who had to step up while the State of Origin players were away. The man who would lead the team and keep us ensconced in the top four. For me it was simple: the Cowboys had to show they weren't useless without Jonathan Thurston and they might well gain themselves two new fans.
Thankfully, they came to the party.
We got the tv switched across just in time to see Bowen show some Dancing With The Stars footwork to open the Cowboys' account after Penrith had crossed early. He then backed it up with a rocket ball out to Ash Graham to open up a 10-6 lead. Slack defence meant that lead was short-lived, with Blake Austin taking advantage with a run down the left to put Lachlan Coote over and leave the Panthers 12-10 up at half-time.
By now my guests were slowly getting into the game, something made easier after the break as the Cowboys skipped ahead. First up Antonio Winterstein grabbed a Bowen bomb to put the Cowboys back in the lead, before Michael Morgan's delicate dab found Gavin Cooper for a 22-12 lead.
It wouldn't be a proper Cowboys introduction though without a few flutters. Penrith ran in three tries to take a four-point lead with 10 minutes to go and the Cowboys lost prop Tariq Sims to a suspected broken leg just days after being named as back-up for the NSW Origin team.
Thankfully for this story the Cowboys' second Sims saw space after a kick was knocked backwards near the Penrith line. He went over, Bowen kicked the extras and all of a sudden his 59th-minute penalty goal was the difference.
So a good win minus the Origin stars to stay in the top four and a good test against the Wests Tigers next Sunday to try and extend this run to four straight. Not only that, but I think two Sandgropers now know who to cheer for whenever the NRL's on in the west.
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS 30 (Bowen, Graham, Winterstein, Cooper, A Sims tries; Bowen 5/6 goals) beat Penrith Panthers 28
But this was different. Raoul and Jess had come across from Perth for the Friday night's Prince concert and hadn't stopped smiling since. The plan for the Saturday was simple: Brisbane's Paniyiri Greek festival; a few beers in West End before heading into the city for a colleague's farewell.
And an in-depth introduction to the Cowboys.
All day I plugged the Cowboys. Talked up their poor record against every single team in the comp. There were plans to compare them to the similarly-hapless Fremantle Dockers, before Raoul suggested that being West Coast Eagles fans they didn't particularly want to hear about it.
Most of all I talked up the legend that is Matty Bowen. Thirty years old and coming back from some horror injuries. The man who had to step up while the State of Origin players were away. The man who would lead the team and keep us ensconced in the top four. For me it was simple: the Cowboys had to show they weren't useless without Jonathan Thurston and they might well gain themselves two new fans.
Thankfully, they came to the party.
We got the tv switched across just in time to see Bowen show some Dancing With The Stars footwork to open the Cowboys' account after Penrith had crossed early. He then backed it up with a rocket ball out to Ash Graham to open up a 10-6 lead. Slack defence meant that lead was short-lived, with Blake Austin taking advantage with a run down the left to put Lachlan Coote over and leave the Panthers 12-10 up at half-time.
By now my guests were slowly getting into the game, something made easier after the break as the Cowboys skipped ahead. First up Antonio Winterstein grabbed a Bowen bomb to put the Cowboys back in the lead, before Michael Morgan's delicate dab found Gavin Cooper for a 22-12 lead.
It wouldn't be a proper Cowboys introduction though without a few flutters. Penrith ran in three tries to take a four-point lead with 10 minutes to go and the Cowboys lost prop Tariq Sims to a suspected broken leg just days after being named as back-up for the NSW Origin team.
Thankfully for this story the Cowboys' second Sims saw space after a kick was knocked backwards near the Penrith line. He went over, Bowen kicked the extras and all of a sudden his 59th-minute penalty goal was the difference.
So a good win minus the Origin stars to stay in the top four and a good test against the Wests Tigers next Sunday to try and extend this run to four straight. Not only that, but I think two Sandgropers now know who to cheer for whenever the NRL's on in the west.
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS 30 (Bowen, Graham, Winterstein, Cooper, A Sims tries; Bowen 5/6 goals) beat Penrith Panthers 28
Sunday 13 May 2012
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
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
Saturday 5 May 2012
Supporting North Queensland: Round 9
ALL any sports fan wants is a win, no questions asked.
It doesn't really matter how they get that win: it could be dominant; it could be last-minute; it could be through cosmic intervention as a stray meteorite drops down from the sky as an opposition player is certain to score the winning points.
Last night the North Queensland Cowboys got the win in the best possible way: exhilarating attack and strong defence creating perpetual pressure on the opposition.
There was plenty to like about the Cowboys in the lead-up. Australian prop and skipper Matthew Scott was a late inclusion after a few weeks away with a foot injury, while the St George-Illawarra Dragons had a poor record in Townsville, being 2-8 in games there.
The Cowboys were no certainty though, unusually finding themselves 1-3 from home games this season and coming off a loss to South Sydney where they found themselves 20-0 down after just 20 minutes.
No such problems here. Two minutes in, first set of six, and Ray Thompson threw a neat little cut-out to Jonathan Thurston. Thurston sent Brent Tate through the gap before Tate passed back inside for a screaming Thompson to race over the line in the best start imaginable. Barely two minutes later and a simple kick return for Dragons' fullback Daniel Vidot turned bad as three Cowboys defenders kept him in-goal before an accidental knee jarred the ball loose for Tate to claim the try. The video referee had a different opinion - not that it mattered soon afterwards.
On the 12-minute mark the Cowboys playmakers set up the kind of try you dream about at night. Thompson cut-out pass to Thurston, inside ball to Matty Bowen, speed, step, Dragons player grasping at thin air, try. They back this up with one straight out of the textbook: Thurston, cut-out to Bowen, short pass to Linnett, try.
This was going so well you didn't mind that Thurston had forgotten his kicking boots, scuffing conversions and drop-outs. So well in fact, that James Segeyaro thought he'd jump in as well, running straight through the middle before putting in a little chip kick out right for Tate. Tate juggled, ran and dived... did he ground it? Did he touch the sideline?
Video ref says... YES!
That the Cowboys were scoring points was no shock; what was pleasing was their defensive intensity. On the one occasion the Dragons made a break close to the line, Thurston popped up again with a magic play, somehow dislodging the ball as Jeremy Latimore was over the line and diving to score.
So up 22-0 at halftime with quite possibly the best half of football you could want to see from your team. As always with the Cowboys though, could they defend it against a side that pulled out a miracle the week before?
Hearts went into mouths 10 minutes into the second half as Dragons winger Jason Nightingale made a break down the right before a delicate kick inside for Brett Morris to get the Dragons on the board. Any hopes they had for a comeback were deflated right from the kick-off when Matt Prior fielded the ball with his foot on the line before something much more shocking. With the Cowboys on the attack Prior knocked Thurston out cold with an elbow to the head, leaving Cowboys and Maroons fans in shock. Neither Thurston or Prior played any further part; Thurston off as a precaution and Prior making history as the first player sent off in 2012.
Despite this loss, the Dragons certainly didn't stop trying. A number of quick penalties gave them quality field position, although a late Segeyaro hit on Ben Hornby didn't help their cause. Finally a Thompson grubber kick sealed it for the Cowboys after a wicked bounce allowed Tariq Sims to score.
So a dominant win for the Cowboys that's positive in so many ways. Not only did they show they have the ability and discipline to win and win well, but they also kept a dangerous side to just the one try. Not only that, but the Cowboys now have a 50% win record against the Dragons, something they only have against one other current club (the Gold Coast Titans).
But while happy/ecstatic with the win (knockouts notwithstanding), I do actually have a question.
Why can't we play like this every week?
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS 30 (Thompson, Bowen, Linnett, Tate, T Sims tries; Thurston 3/6 Bowen 2/2 goals) beat St George Illawarra Dragons 6.
It doesn't really matter how they get that win: it could be dominant; it could be last-minute; it could be through cosmic intervention as a stray meteorite drops down from the sky as an opposition player is certain to score the winning points.
Last night the North Queensland Cowboys got the win in the best possible way: exhilarating attack and strong defence creating perpetual pressure on the opposition.
There was plenty to like about the Cowboys in the lead-up. Australian prop and skipper Matthew Scott was a late inclusion after a few weeks away with a foot injury, while the St George-Illawarra Dragons had a poor record in Townsville, being 2-8 in games there.
The Cowboys were no certainty though, unusually finding themselves 1-3 from home games this season and coming off a loss to South Sydney where they found themselves 20-0 down after just 20 minutes.
No such problems here. Two minutes in, first set of six, and Ray Thompson threw a neat little cut-out to Jonathan Thurston. Thurston sent Brent Tate through the gap before Tate passed back inside for a screaming Thompson to race over the line in the best start imaginable. Barely two minutes later and a simple kick return for Dragons' fullback Daniel Vidot turned bad as three Cowboys defenders kept him in-goal before an accidental knee jarred the ball loose for Tate to claim the try. The video referee had a different opinion - not that it mattered soon afterwards.
On the 12-minute mark the Cowboys playmakers set up the kind of try you dream about at night. Thompson cut-out pass to Thurston, inside ball to Matty Bowen, speed, step, Dragons player grasping at thin air, try. They back this up with one straight out of the textbook: Thurston, cut-out to Bowen, short pass to Linnett, try.
This was going so well you didn't mind that Thurston had forgotten his kicking boots, scuffing conversions and drop-outs. So well in fact, that James Segeyaro thought he'd jump in as well, running straight through the middle before putting in a little chip kick out right for Tate. Tate juggled, ran and dived... did he ground it? Did he touch the sideline?
Video ref says... YES!
That the Cowboys were scoring points was no shock; what was pleasing was their defensive intensity. On the one occasion the Dragons made a break close to the line, Thurston popped up again with a magic play, somehow dislodging the ball as Jeremy Latimore was over the line and diving to score.
So up 22-0 at halftime with quite possibly the best half of football you could want to see from your team. As always with the Cowboys though, could they defend it against a side that pulled out a miracle the week before?
Hearts went into mouths 10 minutes into the second half as Dragons winger Jason Nightingale made a break down the right before a delicate kick inside for Brett Morris to get the Dragons on the board. Any hopes they had for a comeback were deflated right from the kick-off when Matt Prior fielded the ball with his foot on the line before something much more shocking. With the Cowboys on the attack Prior knocked Thurston out cold with an elbow to the head, leaving Cowboys and Maroons fans in shock. Neither Thurston or Prior played any further part; Thurston off as a precaution and Prior making history as the first player sent off in 2012.
Despite this loss, the Dragons certainly didn't stop trying. A number of quick penalties gave them quality field position, although a late Segeyaro hit on Ben Hornby didn't help their cause. Finally a Thompson grubber kick sealed it for the Cowboys after a wicked bounce allowed Tariq Sims to score.
So a dominant win for the Cowboys that's positive in so many ways. Not only did they show they have the ability and discipline to win and win well, but they also kept a dangerous side to just the one try. Not only that, but the Cowboys now have a 50% win record against the Dragons, something they only have against one other current club (the Gold Coast Titans).
But while happy/ecstatic with the win (knockouts notwithstanding), I do actually have a question.
Why can't we play like this every week?
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS 30 (Thompson, Bowen, Linnett, Tate, T Sims tries; Thurston 3/6 Bowen 2/2 goals) beat St George Illawarra Dragons 6.
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