AS promised/threatened earlier, here are the previews for the final three states (by alphabetical order).
TASMANIA TIGERS (2nd)
IN: Aiden Blizzard (SA); Ben Dunk (QLD); Andrew Fekete (VIC); Timm van der Gugten (NSW)
OUT: Tom Triffit (WA)
Tasmania were desperately unlucky not to host last season's Sheffield Shield final after finishing equal with Queensland and Victoria and having a better points differential than both of them - only Queensland's six outright wins as opposed to Tasmania's five got the final at the Gabba. Once there they gave the Bulls one hell of a fight, only losing by 3 wickets as Chris Hartley gave the batting performance of his career.
There's nothing to suggest Tasmania won't challenge again this season either. The bowling attack of last year's leading wicket-taker Jackson Bird, James Faulkner, Luke Butterworth with Jason Krejza and Xavier Doherty as the spinners looks as strong and well-balanced as any; while the strongest batting line-up features Ed Cowan, Mark Cosgrove, Ricky Ponting, and Tim Paine - international batsmen the four of them.
Indeed, it seems the only thing that can stop Tasmania playing another final are international call-ups - don't expect to see Ben Hilfenhaus to many times; Ponting and Cowan during the Tests; or Doherty during the ODI series. Add to that potential Australia A/full team honours for Bird, Faulkner and Butterworth and you can see Tasmania possibly being a victim of their own success.
Prediction: finalists
VICTORIA BUSHRANGERS (3rd)
IN: none.
OUT: Ashton Agar (WA); Mark Cleary (retired); Andrew Fekete (TAS); Brad Hodge (retired)
For so long the dominant domestic team, Victoria just missed out on making last year's Shield final on quotient and number of outright wins. Despite players like Dirk Nannes and Brad Hodge leaving the domestic circuit for the bright lights of various Twenty20 leagues, they've still got plenty to throw at the opposition.
At full strength Victoria are brimming with talent: Chris Rogers, Rob Quiney, David Hussey at the top of the order; Peter Siddle, James Pattinson and Jade Herrick as the quick; Andrew McDonald, Glenn Maxwell and Cameron White as the all-rounders with Matthew Wade behind the stumps.
Mind you, it's unlikely Victorian fans will see this line-up (with Jon Holland for some left-arm orthodox) at any time during the season. Expect to see Siddle and Pattinson in the Test team when fit; Maxwell in the one-day team; and Wade in the 50 and 20-over teams at the very least. The last time the Australian wicket-keeping spot was chopped and changed was back in the 1980s - keep an eye out to see if Wade retains his place from the West Indies tour or whether Brad Haddin comes back after leaving the tour to attend to his seriously ill child.
Prediction: 3rd or 4th
WESTERN AUSTRALIAN WARRIORS (4th)
IN: Ashton Agar (VIC); Tom Triffit (TAS)
OUT: Mark Cameron (retired); Brad Knowles (retired); Luke Pomersbach (QLD); Luke Ronchi (Wellington)
One of four teams challenging for Shield honours last season, Western Australia were just two points away from the top three teams. This year they'll be hoping to take that extra step and try and win a competition for the first time since 2003/04.
The challenge for West Australian coach Lachlan Stevens is to take a ridiculously talented group of players and mould them into a domestic powerhouse. Players like Shaun Marsh and Mitchells Marsh and Johnson all have the ability - or at least had the ability - to be world beaters. But footwork problems, disciplinary problems and mental problems have meant the three are considered to have under-achieved.
That's not to say it's all lost for the Sandgropers. Nathan Rimmington, Michael Hogan, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Michael Beer alongside the two Mitchells make for a bowling attack as good as any; while Liam Davis will want to build on his 921-run season and push for any vacancies in the Australian batting line-up. Tom Triffit also looks to be a good buy to replace Luke Ronchi, who has headed back to his country of birth to try and make the New Zealand team.
Prediction: 4th or 5th
Wednesday 26 September 2012
Tuesday 25 September 2012
The Completely Non-Official Guide to the 2012/13 Sheffield Shield
Aah, spring... the weather's warming up, the footy seasons are coming to a close - time then for willow fanciers around the country to stock up the fridge, make sure the couch is still comfy and get ready for the upcoming cricket season.
With Test series against the top-ranked South Africans and always competitive Sri Lankans coming - not to mention home-and-away Ashes series soon after - this season's Sheffield Shield is many players time to shine. The Australian batting line-up hasn't looked this unsettled since the 1980s, while the bowlers keep dropping like flies: perform well in the Shield and you could be pulling on the baggy green.
But who's expected to do well - and who do we look out for? Let's have a look at New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia.
NEW SOUTH WALES BLUES (5th last year)
IN: none.
OUT: Beau Casson (retired); Stuart Clark (retired); Nathan Hauritz (QLD); Phillip Hughes (SA); Phil Jaques (retired); Simon Katich (retired); Usman Khawaja (QLD); Timm van der Gugten (TAS).
Wow. Fifth last year; seven Test players either retiring or moving interstate. Just looking at that you'd think NSW would struggle to win anything for a long time.
First impressions can be misleading though. Of those departing Test players only Katich (483 runs at 43.90) had anything approaching good form. Hughes, Khawaja and Jaques all averaged in the 20s with the bat, while Hauritz only took 3 wickets in two matches. Clark was only listed as an emergency, while a recurrence of a congenital heart condition sadly forced Casson to retire at the age of 29.
Of those left, many are reaping the rewards of the September start with Australian captain Michael Clarke leading the side for the first two matches. While players like Clarke, Shane Watson and David Warner will be away most of the season, former Test players Doug Bollinger and Trent Copeland will lead the attack, while there will be plenty of attention on all-rounders Steve O'Keefe, Moises Henriques and Steven Smith as they slowly progress. And that's without NSW's uncanny knack of producing good batsmen: keep an eye out on Nic Maddison and Peter Nevill.
Prediction: 3rd or 4th.
QUEENSLAND BULLS (1st)
IN: Nathan Hauritz (NSW); Usman Khawaja (NSW); Luke Pomersbach (WA)
OUT: Ben Dunk (TAS); Steve Magoffin (Sussex); Chris Swan (retired)
Last year's champions did it in time-honoured Queensland fashion: strong fast bowling; a great wicket-keeper; and some very brittle batting. Only two Queensland batsmen (Peter Forrest and Joe Burns) averaged over 40 last season, while no less than seven bowlers averaged under 30, with four (Alister McDermott, Magoffin, Ryan Harris and Ben Cutting) averaging under 20 runs per wicket. Indeed, it's an interesting fact that of the 78 players to make their Test debuts after a certain S.K. Warne, only three of them have been Queenslander specialist batsmen (Matthew Hayden, Stuart Law and Martin Love), with two all-rounders (Shane Watson and Andrew Symonds). This compares with seven specialist bowlers picked during the same period (Michael Kasprowicz, Andy Bichel, Adam Dale, Scott Muller, Nathan Hauritz, Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris).
To that end Queensland have recruited wisely: Khawaja and Pomersbach were once two of the more highly rated young batsmen going around. Both come with their own personal baggage they hope coach Darren Lehmann can help them get rid of; while it will be interesting to see if Hauritz can flourish in his return to his home state after being "blowtorched" by Queensland when he first played for them. Both Hauritz and leg-spinner Cameron Boyce have been named in the Bull's squad for their opening match against South Australia, something very much against the mould of Queensland all-pace attacks. Look out for McDermott and Cutting again this year as they aim for any openings in the Test team.
Prediction: finalists.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA REDBACKS (6th)
IN: Johan Botha (South Africa); Phillip Hughes (NSW)
OUT: Aiden Blizzard (TAS)
For the last couple of years South Australian coach Darren Berry has been slowly building his side up: Big Bash winners 2010/11; Ryobi Cup winners 2011/12. Next step is to try and lift their Shield results after last year's desperately disappointing effort of just two points for the whole year.
The team's problems aren't with runs. The Adelaide Oval is renown as being a batsman's paradise, with Dan Christian, Michael Klinger and Tom Cooper all averaging over 40 last season. Hughes' recruitment will add more runs to that, although whether it's in his best interests to be playing home games on a flat wicket with short square boundaries is another thing.
No, the problem for South Australia is taking wickets. Just four bowlers (Gary Putland, Joe Mennie, Peter George and Christian) took more than 10 wickets last season, with former Test bowler George scalping at an average of 37 and Christian taking his 10 at nearly 50. To that end new captain Botha will give them something with Test spinner Nathan Lyon is away, but you can't help but feel the team are still one bowler short of consistently getting 20 wickets a game.
Prediction: 6th
Tomorrow I'll run the rule over Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.
With Test series against the top-ranked South Africans and always competitive Sri Lankans coming - not to mention home-and-away Ashes series soon after - this season's Sheffield Shield is many players time to shine. The Australian batting line-up hasn't looked this unsettled since the 1980s, while the bowlers keep dropping like flies: perform well in the Shield and you could be pulling on the baggy green.
But who's expected to do well - and who do we look out for? Let's have a look at New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia.
NEW SOUTH WALES BLUES (5th last year)
IN: none.
OUT: Beau Casson (retired); Stuart Clark (retired); Nathan Hauritz (QLD); Phillip Hughes (SA); Phil Jaques (retired); Simon Katich (retired); Usman Khawaja (QLD); Timm van der Gugten (TAS).
Wow. Fifth last year; seven Test players either retiring or moving interstate. Just looking at that you'd think NSW would struggle to win anything for a long time.
First impressions can be misleading though. Of those departing Test players only Katich (483 runs at 43.90) had anything approaching good form. Hughes, Khawaja and Jaques all averaged in the 20s with the bat, while Hauritz only took 3 wickets in two matches. Clark was only listed as an emergency, while a recurrence of a congenital heart condition sadly forced Casson to retire at the age of 29.
Of those left, many are reaping the rewards of the September start with Australian captain Michael Clarke leading the side for the first two matches. While players like Clarke, Shane Watson and David Warner will be away most of the season, former Test players Doug Bollinger and Trent Copeland will lead the attack, while there will be plenty of attention on all-rounders Steve O'Keefe, Moises Henriques and Steven Smith as they slowly progress. And that's without NSW's uncanny knack of producing good batsmen: keep an eye out on Nic Maddison and Peter Nevill.
Prediction: 3rd or 4th.
QUEENSLAND BULLS (1st)
IN: Nathan Hauritz (NSW); Usman Khawaja (NSW); Luke Pomersbach (WA)
OUT: Ben Dunk (TAS); Steve Magoffin (Sussex); Chris Swan (retired)
Last year's champions did it in time-honoured Queensland fashion: strong fast bowling; a great wicket-keeper; and some very brittle batting. Only two Queensland batsmen (Peter Forrest and Joe Burns) averaged over 40 last season, while no less than seven bowlers averaged under 30, with four (Alister McDermott, Magoffin, Ryan Harris and Ben Cutting) averaging under 20 runs per wicket. Indeed, it's an interesting fact that of the 78 players to make their Test debuts after a certain S.K. Warne, only three of them have been Queenslander specialist batsmen (Matthew Hayden, Stuart Law and Martin Love), with two all-rounders (Shane Watson and Andrew Symonds). This compares with seven specialist bowlers picked during the same period (Michael Kasprowicz, Andy Bichel, Adam Dale, Scott Muller, Nathan Hauritz, Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris).
To that end Queensland have recruited wisely: Khawaja and Pomersbach were once two of the more highly rated young batsmen going around. Both come with their own personal baggage they hope coach Darren Lehmann can help them get rid of; while it will be interesting to see if Hauritz can flourish in his return to his home state after being "blowtorched" by Queensland when he first played for them. Both Hauritz and leg-spinner Cameron Boyce have been named in the Bull's squad for their opening match against South Australia, something very much against the mould of Queensland all-pace attacks. Look out for McDermott and Cutting again this year as they aim for any openings in the Test team.
Prediction: finalists.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA REDBACKS (6th)
IN: Johan Botha (South Africa); Phillip Hughes (NSW)
OUT: Aiden Blizzard (TAS)
For the last couple of years South Australian coach Darren Berry has been slowly building his side up: Big Bash winners 2010/11; Ryobi Cup winners 2011/12. Next step is to try and lift their Shield results after last year's desperately disappointing effort of just two points for the whole year.
The team's problems aren't with runs. The Adelaide Oval is renown as being a batsman's paradise, with Dan Christian, Michael Klinger and Tom Cooper all averaging over 40 last season. Hughes' recruitment will add more runs to that, although whether it's in his best interests to be playing home games on a flat wicket with short square boundaries is another thing.
No, the problem for South Australia is taking wickets. Just four bowlers (Gary Putland, Joe Mennie, Peter George and Christian) took more than 10 wickets last season, with former Test bowler George scalping at an average of 37 and Christian taking his 10 at nearly 50. To that end new captain Botha will give them something with Test spinner Nathan Lyon is away, but you can't help but feel the team are still one bowler short of consistently getting 20 wickets a game.
Prediction: 6th
Tomorrow I'll run the rule over Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.
Monday 17 September 2012
Supporting North Queensland: Finals Week 2
HAVE you ever watched the footage of Seinfeld's Michael Richards doing stand-up?
If you haven't, check it out here. Go on, have a watch if you haven't already done so.
The first thing you'll notice on this clip is the racial slur that spews out of Richards' mouth. You're sitting there thinking, "did he just say that?"
"For real?"
And that's not the end of it. Next thing Richards is dropping the word "nigger" like he's deliberately trying to piss of the most number of people in the shortest possible time. Soon after people stream out of the theatre, appalled with what they're seeing and hearing. You can't blame them either - there's no condoning what Richards said under any possible set of ethics. You wouldn't think in this day and age that people would still feel that appropriate, yet we still saw it.
Last Friday night rugby league fans had our Michael Richards moment.
It was the 63rd minute of the Manly-North Queensland semi-final. Manly led by 4 points after the video referee had controversially awarded Jorge Taufua a try after he initially grounded the ball just short of the try line. The bomb had gone up; Matty Bowen misjudged the flight and jumped too early; Johnathan Thurston and Keiran Foran both went for the ball, which then went towards the Cowboys' tryline; Manly's Jamie Lyon grabbed the ball, passed off the ground to Michael Oldfield who then grounded the ball on the off-chance it was a try.
On initial inspection it appeared that Foran had knocked the ball on when jumping against Thurston. Channel 9 commentators Ray Warren and Phil Gould both called it early: the way Thurston had jumped with both hands in the air compared to Foran with one hand tipped at an angle suggested a Manly knock-on. The video ref went through quite a few camera angles off Thurston and Foran jumping, all of which suggested - nay, screamed - knock-on.
But the more replays that flashed on the screen (the coverage showing what the video refs were looking at), the more likely it seemed they'd give a try. Suddenly the clips weren't of a leaping Thurston and Foran, but of Lyon passing the ball from the ground and whether a Cowboys player had a hand on him. The commentators were stunned - "surely they're not going to give this" - as was every rugby league fan around the world.
The replays then went to Oldfield putting the ball down, and suddenly we all realised. Just like the racist bile coming from Michael Richards' mouth, this was no joke.
Manly try.
The Cowboys were understandably rattled, throwing the ball around to try and make up the now 10-point deficit. They had their chances too: soon afterwards Brent Tate had an unmarked Ashley Graham on his right but elected to go himself. Taufua made a strong run from a kick after accidentally grounding the ball in-goal. The referees allowed the run, which goes against Section 8 (The Kick-Off and Drop-Out) 4. (c) which states:
Alas, it just wasn't our night. To be fair to Manly their defence was top-notch - it had taken some fancy footwork from forward James Tamou for the Cowboys to get their opener, while their second try came after Graham had helped strip the ball from a Manly player to gain possession.
This, then, wasn't the year. But after the trials of the last few years the team is definitely building to something. In Tamou and Matt Scott the Cowboys have the two best props in the game; Brent Tate and Kane Linnett two of the better centres; and Anthony Mitchell and Michael Morgan two local lads destined to play a big part in their local team's future. And that's without mentioning the pleasure that Bowen and Thurston bring every week they play together: while we expected Thurston's genius, Bowen's renaissance was one of the great stories of the 2012 National Rugby League season.
All this season I've been following the official North Queensland Cowboys Twitter feed (@nthqldcowboys); it never ceases to amaze me the support people have for the club. Having only been to Townsville twice since we left in 1983 I'm yet to experience a home game up there, but reading the retweets about people travelling 10 hours+ each way just to get to a game shows the support that's out there for one of the NRL's least fashionable clubs.
Naturally we're all disappointed at how the season ended, but let's hope the team uses the pain of defeat to lead us to victory in 2013.
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS 12 (Tamou, Winterstein tries; Thurston 2/2 goals) lost to Manly Sea-Eagles 22.
If you haven't, check it out here. Go on, have a watch if you haven't already done so.
The first thing you'll notice on this clip is the racial slur that spews out of Richards' mouth. You're sitting there thinking, "did he just say that?"
"For real?"
And that's not the end of it. Next thing Richards is dropping the word "nigger" like he's deliberately trying to piss of the most number of people in the shortest possible time. Soon after people stream out of the theatre, appalled with what they're seeing and hearing. You can't blame them either - there's no condoning what Richards said under any possible set of ethics. You wouldn't think in this day and age that people would still feel that appropriate, yet we still saw it.
Last Friday night rugby league fans had our Michael Richards moment.
It was the 63rd minute of the Manly-North Queensland semi-final. Manly led by 4 points after the video referee had controversially awarded Jorge Taufua a try after he initially grounded the ball just short of the try line. The bomb had gone up; Matty Bowen misjudged the flight and jumped too early; Johnathan Thurston and Keiran Foran both went for the ball, which then went towards the Cowboys' tryline; Manly's Jamie Lyon grabbed the ball, passed off the ground to Michael Oldfield who then grounded the ball on the off-chance it was a try.
On initial inspection it appeared that Foran had knocked the ball on when jumping against Thurston. Channel 9 commentators Ray Warren and Phil Gould both called it early: the way Thurston had jumped with both hands in the air compared to Foran with one hand tipped at an angle suggested a Manly knock-on. The video ref went through quite a few camera angles off Thurston and Foran jumping, all of which suggested - nay, screamed - knock-on.
But the more replays that flashed on the screen (the coverage showing what the video refs were looking at), the more likely it seemed they'd give a try. Suddenly the clips weren't of a leaping Thurston and Foran, but of Lyon passing the ball from the ground and whether a Cowboys player had a hand on him. The commentators were stunned - "surely they're not going to give this" - as was every rugby league fan around the world.
The replays then went to Oldfield putting the ball down, and suddenly we all realised. Just like the racist bile coming from Michael Richards' mouth, this was no joke.
Manly try.
The Cowboys were understandably rattled, throwing the ball around to try and make up the now 10-point deficit. They had their chances too: soon afterwards Brent Tate had an unmarked Ashley Graham on his right but elected to go himself. Taufua made a strong run from a kick after accidentally grounding the ball in-goal. The referees allowed the run, which goes against Section 8 (The Kick-Off and Drop-Out) 4. (c) which states:
4. The game is re-started with a drop-out by a defending player from the centre of his goal line if:
...
(c) a defending player touches down in the in-goal area.
Alas, it just wasn't our night. To be fair to Manly their defence was top-notch - it had taken some fancy footwork from forward James Tamou for the Cowboys to get their opener, while their second try came after Graham had helped strip the ball from a Manly player to gain possession.
This, then, wasn't the year. But after the trials of the last few years the team is definitely building to something. In Tamou and Matt Scott the Cowboys have the two best props in the game; Brent Tate and Kane Linnett two of the better centres; and Anthony Mitchell and Michael Morgan two local lads destined to play a big part in their local team's future. And that's without mentioning the pleasure that Bowen and Thurston bring every week they play together: while we expected Thurston's genius, Bowen's renaissance was one of the great stories of the 2012 National Rugby League season.
All this season I've been following the official North Queensland Cowboys Twitter feed (@nthqldcowboys); it never ceases to amaze me the support people have for the club. Having only been to Townsville twice since we left in 1983 I'm yet to experience a home game up there, but reading the retweets about people travelling 10 hours+ each way just to get to a game shows the support that's out there for one of the NRL's least fashionable clubs.
Naturally we're all disappointed at how the season ended, but let's hope the team uses the pain of defeat to lead us to victory in 2013.
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS 12 (Tamou, Winterstein tries; Thurston 2/2 goals) lost to Manly Sea-Eagles 22.
Sunday 9 September 2012
Supporting North Queensland: Finals Week 1
I CAN'T recall ever being an only child.
It's not surprising. I was just past two years old when Matt became the first of many siblings in February 1983. From then until I went to boarding school in 1996 we shared many experiences: an army family's million moves; Grandma's slow battle with the brain tumour that killed her; the four schools we simultaneously attended in classes three years apart. Like all good siblings we played sports, climbed trees and fought like Tasmanian devils locked in a small bag together for 10-12 years.
After one of us (him) farted.
Repeatedly.
After '96 things changed a bit. Mum and Dad split up while I was away, leaving Matt to deal with the consequences and support the younger two brothers. Our respective careers as journalist/tour guide and government worker took us further apart with two very different life experiences, not least when Matt became father to young Lachie late last year.
All this is a roundabout way of explaining a sense of happiness as we sat next to each other at the Breakfast Creek Hotel in Brisbane. Our team was up and would go on to record a convincing win against hated rivals - and it was the first time in years I could remember us watching a Cowboys match together.
Oh, and he'd up and married partner Danielle earlier that day.
Having eschewed a traditional wedding family and close friends met at the famous Brisbane pub for a feed and a couple of quiet ones to celebrate with the new couple. The game kicked off soon after we'd finished our meals but general chit-chat meant we only caught a glimpse here and there; enough though to see Ashley Graham somehow fling the ball back infield while in-touch and airborne for Matty Bowen to open the scoring. We also caught a glimpse of Jack Reed crossing, leading the best man to break out in a bad case of premature congratulation when the try was disallowed. Another glimpse saw Michael Morgan pick up a spilled ball for his first; later we caught the replays as he used his go-go-gadget arms to grab the ball and help give the Cowboys an 18-0 halftime lead.
During the halftime break Matt and I had a quick chat about the pitfalls of being a Cowboys fan - that is, the feeling that disappointment lurks around the corner. A Brisbane try soon after the restart seemed to confirm those suspicions; only to be allayed when Bowen showed the form from the Cowboys' glory year by taking the ball 20m out, stepping past Broncos players then passing wide for Brent Tate to race away and score.
Brisbane crossed twice more just before we left to meet some of the couple's friends in town leaving an anxious cab ride hitting the mobile's "refresh" button. Fortunately Morgan scored his third to seal the win before Bowen coolly slotted home a field goal in his 250th NRL game.
All-in-all it was the perfect night: family, food and football. My brother is now a happily married man - although I don't think Danielle was terribly happy with her beloved Broncos losing.
Here's to that being their only worry.
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS 33 (Morgan 3, Bowen, Tate tries; Thurston 6/7 goals; Bowen field goal) defeated Brisbane Broncos 16.
It's not surprising. I was just past two years old when Matt became the first of many siblings in February 1983. From then until I went to boarding school in 1996 we shared many experiences: an army family's million moves; Grandma's slow battle with the brain tumour that killed her; the four schools we simultaneously attended in classes three years apart. Like all good siblings we played sports, climbed trees and fought like Tasmanian devils locked in a small bag together for 10-12 years.
After one of us (him) farted.
Repeatedly.
After '96 things changed a bit. Mum and Dad split up while I was away, leaving Matt to deal with the consequences and support the younger two brothers. Our respective careers as journalist/tour guide and government worker took us further apart with two very different life experiences, not least when Matt became father to young Lachie late last year.
All this is a roundabout way of explaining a sense of happiness as we sat next to each other at the Breakfast Creek Hotel in Brisbane. Our team was up and would go on to record a convincing win against hated rivals - and it was the first time in years I could remember us watching a Cowboys match together.
Oh, and he'd up and married partner Danielle earlier that day.
Having eschewed a traditional wedding family and close friends met at the famous Brisbane pub for a feed and a couple of quiet ones to celebrate with the new couple. The game kicked off soon after we'd finished our meals but general chit-chat meant we only caught a glimpse here and there; enough though to see Ashley Graham somehow fling the ball back infield while in-touch and airborne for Matty Bowen to open the scoring. We also caught a glimpse of Jack Reed crossing, leading the best man to break out in a bad case of premature congratulation when the try was disallowed. Another glimpse saw Michael Morgan pick up a spilled ball for his first; later we caught the replays as he used his go-go-gadget arms to grab the ball and help give the Cowboys an 18-0 halftime lead.
During the halftime break Matt and I had a quick chat about the pitfalls of being a Cowboys fan - that is, the feeling that disappointment lurks around the corner. A Brisbane try soon after the restart seemed to confirm those suspicions; only to be allayed when Bowen showed the form from the Cowboys' glory year by taking the ball 20m out, stepping past Broncos players then passing wide for Brent Tate to race away and score.
Brisbane crossed twice more just before we left to meet some of the couple's friends in town leaving an anxious cab ride hitting the mobile's "refresh" button. Fortunately Morgan scored his third to seal the win before Bowen coolly slotted home a field goal in his 250th NRL game.
All-in-all it was the perfect night: family, food and football. My brother is now a happily married man - although I don't think Danielle was terribly happy with her beloved Broncos losing.
Here's to that being their only worry.
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS 33 (Morgan 3, Bowen, Tate tries; Thurston 6/7 goals; Bowen field goal) defeated Brisbane Broncos 16.
Monday 3 September 2012
Supporting North Queensland: Rounds 24, 25 & 26
THE final rounds of the season are always a nerve-racking time for sports fans, especially if you're battling it out for certain positions. The teams at the top want the home semi-final and double chance; while the teams sitting around 8th position want to ensure they get some September action.
For the North Queensland Cowboys, they needed to win their last three games and hope that Souths or Manly messed up enough to sneak them into third or fourth. That two of these games were in New South Wales would give fans an indication of their finals' chances - lose both and any thoughts of beating the likes of Canterbury or Souths in a Sydney final would go right out the window.
Down then to Wollongong for the match against the Dragons, who had to win to keep their September hopes alive. The Cowboys were riding high after flogging the Warriors the week before, and came out firing with tries to Ashley Graham and Kane Linnett for an early 12-0 lead. The Dragons soon hit back before a dropped ball on the first hit-up after the restart allowed Linnett to notch up his second.
Attack has never been a problem for the Cowboys; defence definitely has. Two Dragons tries before half-time reduced the margin to just two points; another try after the break meant the Cowboys were behind even though they'd dominated most of the match. A punch-up soon after led to one player from each team being sin-binned; Johnathan Thurston then took advantage with some light-stepping that wouldn't have been out of place on Dancing With The Stars to put the Cowboys back in front.
The match-sealer came the way many a Cowboys try has come - Thurston creating a gap, quick pass out to Brent Tate, back inside to Thurston before a final pass to Matt Bowen who scored to put the game out of reach.
SO one NSW game, one win. Back up in Townsville for veteran Aaron Payne's last home-and-away match at Dairy Farmers, the Cowboys were once again playing a side desperate for the win. This time Newcastle took an early lead after some quick hands from a goal-line kick saw Timana Tahu cross unopposed. Thurston seemed to take this personally, accelerating through a gap to notch up the Cowboys' first try of the night. Not to be outdone, Bowen did the same to give the Cowboys the lead.
If that was classic Bowen, the next try was 2005-vintage Bowen. Taking the ball from his own goal-line, Bowen scooted past three Newcastle players before finding Anthony Mitchell on his inside, who then found Tate on his inside to score a 98m try.
Once again though the Cowboys seemed to switch off after taking a good lead, with Newcastle scoring two more tries to leave the margin at just four points at half-time. After the break neither side managed to cross the line; two Thurston penalty goals were enough to get the Cowboys home by eight.
Finally then a match in Sydney; and this against the team directly below them on the ladder. By the time the Cowboys took the field against Cronulla they knew they couldn't make the top 4; however plans by coach Neil Henry to rest the likes of Thurston and Bowen were thwarted by the players themselves.
That the Cowboys took an early lead after a kick wasn't a huge shock; that Thurston had played the ball was. Bowen's kick landed just short of the Cronulla back, whose attempt to grab it only allowed Gavin Cooper to simultaneously ground the ball and thus score the try.
Cronulla soon hit back with a try to the departing Colin Best, only for a slick backline move and some good angles from Tate to put the Cowboys back in front. Cronulla hit back again; again the Cowboys struck back, with Graham scoring his 20th try of the season.
What happened next? Why, Cronulla scored, then North Queensland again. This time James Segeyaro scooted over from dummy half in his first game back after a shoulder injury; before Jason Taumalolo stopped the to-and-fro with a barmstorming run from 10m out. Graham then scored his 21st try to match the Bulldogs' Ben Barba as the leading tryscorer before a late Cronulla try gave the scoreline some respectability.
ONWARDS then to a home final against arch-rivals Brisbane Broncos. Win and a game against Manly or Canterbury awaits. With a fifth-placed finish, a hot backline, the NRL's best attack and Bowen and Thurston causing plenty of havoc, this season has a definite 2005 feel to it - could we go one better this time around?
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS 32 (Linnett 2, Graham, Thurston, Bowen tries; Thurston 6/6 goals) defeated St George-Illawarra Dragons 22
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS 22 (Thurston, Bowen, Tate tries; Thurston 5/5 goals) defeated Newcastle Knights 14
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS 36 (Graham 2, Cooper, Tate, Segeyaro, Taumalolo tries; Thurston 6/7 goals) defeated Cronulla Sharks 22
For the North Queensland Cowboys, they needed to win their last three games and hope that Souths or Manly messed up enough to sneak them into third or fourth. That two of these games were in New South Wales would give fans an indication of their finals' chances - lose both and any thoughts of beating the likes of Canterbury or Souths in a Sydney final would go right out the window.
Down then to Wollongong for the match against the Dragons, who had to win to keep their September hopes alive. The Cowboys were riding high after flogging the Warriors the week before, and came out firing with tries to Ashley Graham and Kane Linnett for an early 12-0 lead. The Dragons soon hit back before a dropped ball on the first hit-up after the restart allowed Linnett to notch up his second.
Attack has never been a problem for the Cowboys; defence definitely has. Two Dragons tries before half-time reduced the margin to just two points; another try after the break meant the Cowboys were behind even though they'd dominated most of the match. A punch-up soon after led to one player from each team being sin-binned; Johnathan Thurston then took advantage with some light-stepping that wouldn't have been out of place on Dancing With The Stars to put the Cowboys back in front.
The match-sealer came the way many a Cowboys try has come - Thurston creating a gap, quick pass out to Brent Tate, back inside to Thurston before a final pass to Matt Bowen who scored to put the game out of reach.
SO one NSW game, one win. Back up in Townsville for veteran Aaron Payne's last home-and-away match at Dairy Farmers, the Cowboys were once again playing a side desperate for the win. This time Newcastle took an early lead after some quick hands from a goal-line kick saw Timana Tahu cross unopposed. Thurston seemed to take this personally, accelerating through a gap to notch up the Cowboys' first try of the night. Not to be outdone, Bowen did the same to give the Cowboys the lead.
If that was classic Bowen, the next try was 2005-vintage Bowen. Taking the ball from his own goal-line, Bowen scooted past three Newcastle players before finding Anthony Mitchell on his inside, who then found Tate on his inside to score a 98m try.
Once again though the Cowboys seemed to switch off after taking a good lead, with Newcastle scoring two more tries to leave the margin at just four points at half-time. After the break neither side managed to cross the line; two Thurston penalty goals were enough to get the Cowboys home by eight.
Finally then a match in Sydney; and this against the team directly below them on the ladder. By the time the Cowboys took the field against Cronulla they knew they couldn't make the top 4; however plans by coach Neil Henry to rest the likes of Thurston and Bowen were thwarted by the players themselves.
That the Cowboys took an early lead after a kick wasn't a huge shock; that Thurston had played the ball was. Bowen's kick landed just short of the Cronulla back, whose attempt to grab it only allowed Gavin Cooper to simultaneously ground the ball and thus score the try.
Cronulla soon hit back with a try to the departing Colin Best, only for a slick backline move and some good angles from Tate to put the Cowboys back in front. Cronulla hit back again; again the Cowboys struck back, with Graham scoring his 20th try of the season.
What happened next? Why, Cronulla scored, then North Queensland again. This time James Segeyaro scooted over from dummy half in his first game back after a shoulder injury; before Jason Taumalolo stopped the to-and-fro with a barmstorming run from 10m out. Graham then scored his 21st try to match the Bulldogs' Ben Barba as the leading tryscorer before a late Cronulla try gave the scoreline some respectability.
ONWARDS then to a home final against arch-rivals Brisbane Broncos. Win and a game against Manly or Canterbury awaits. With a fifth-placed finish, a hot backline, the NRL's best attack and Bowen and Thurston causing plenty of havoc, this season has a definite 2005 feel to it - could we go one better this time around?
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS 32 (Linnett 2, Graham, Thurston, Bowen tries; Thurston 6/6 goals) defeated St George-Illawarra Dragons 22
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS 22 (Thurston, Bowen, Tate tries; Thurston 5/5 goals) defeated Newcastle Knights 14
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS 36 (Graham 2, Cooper, Tate, Segeyaro, Taumalolo tries; Thurston 6/7 goals) defeated Cronulla Sharks 22
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