COWBOYS CLIP PLUCKY ROOSTERS
Cowboys praise centre for big play after error
IT was a moment which reinforced the character the Cowboys’ grand final fairy tale has been built on.
Early in the second half in Saturday’s preliminary final win, centre Justin O’Neill lost the ball 20 metres from his own line, not a Roosters arm laid upon him.
The Roosters spread the ball wide to winger Blake Ferguson, who scored to give them the lead.
A player with less mental strength, as teammate Antonio Winterstein says, “would have gone into his shell”.
But O’Neill, furious at himself, took his very next opportunity for redemption.
From the kick-off he cut Ferguson in half with a textbook tackle, forcing the Blues and Kangaroos star into error.
The Cowboys scored through Kyle Feldt the next set, taking a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
“I was pretty filthy with myself, it was a lapse in concentration. I knew I let the team down and I wanted to make up for it,” O’Neill said.
“I was lucky it happened pretty soon (afterwards) and we got a try on the back of it.
“I could either go into my shell and fall out of the game, or stay in the game and do my job for the boys.
“I knew the next chance I got would be a kick-chase and a defensive set, so I wanted to do my job and then some.”
O’Neill will come up against his former side Melbourne in Sunday’s grand final.
Just a few weeks ago he thought his season was over after dislocating his elbow, but the Cowboys’ finals charge gave him a chance to return against Parramatta in week two.
“It’s going to be weird coming up against the old team. It will be mixed emotions, but we’ve got a job to do,” O’Neill said.
“They (Storm) are just really professional, obviously there are a couple of key players there and we can’t afford to give them too many opportunities.
After switching to the left edge on his injury return, O’Neill will come up against star Storm centre Will Chambers on Sunday.
“It’s a big challenge, he’s playing some really good footy this year and he’s going to be a handful,” O’Neill said.
“I think if we play as an edge, we can contain him.”
Winterstein, who had the best seat in the house outside O’Neill on the wing, rated the tackle the key moment of the game.
“I think anyone would have gone into their shell, a big game like that,” Winterstein said. “It was a costly error, but ‘Juzee’ brushed it aside and came up with the big play that got us the win.
“As a team we’re mentally strong, we don’t let errors affect us, we just get on with it.”
Dally M medallist Jason Taumalolo, a master of big plays himself, knows a crucial moment when he sees one.
“Greens (Cowboys coach Paul Green) always talks about big plays and efforts which win games,” Taumalolo said.
“For ‘Juzee’ to pull that off, it was something special. He knew he made a mistake, he owned up to it and forced an error which led to points.”
Green said his side won’t be overawed by the hype of playing in a grand final.
“It’s a special week,” he said. “They deserve it and have to embrace and enjoy it, but make sure the whole aim of the week is next Sunday and keep your eyes focused on that.”
The Cowboys returned home from Saturday’s preliminary final win with a relatively clean bill of health, with an eye injury to Ethan Lowe not considered too serious.
I WAS PRETTY FILTHY WITH MYSELF, IT WAS A LAPSE IN CONCENTRATION. I KNEW I LET THE TEAM DOWN AND I WANTED TO MAKE UP FOR IT. COWBOYS CENTRE JUSTIN O’NEILL