JT wants Morgan to crank volume
JOHNATHAN Thurston has urged Michael Morgan to grow a voice and not be afraid to overrule the champion Cowboys halfback.
North Queensland’s NRL premiership hopes are teetering following a poor start to the season, which has yielded one win in five matches.
The season may only be five rounds old, but the NRL premiership has proved impossible to win from outside the top four and the Cowboys have a lot of work to do to before September.
The 14th-placed Cowboys have a chance to kickstart their season against the 15th-placed Bulldogs at 1300SMILES Stadium on Saturday.
Morgan, North Queensland’s hero in last year’s run to the grand final, has partially eased back into his shell with Thurston back at the helm.
The Cowboys five-eighth attempted to smooth out their battling combination last week and Thurston, a four-time Dally M medallist, said he was ready to share the reins.
“We are still working hard on our combination and trying to get the best out of each other,” Thurston said. “We aren’t far off.
“If Morgo or anyone else in the team sees an opportunity, it’s important for that person to have the confidence to get the ball at the right time to take advantage of those opportunities. If Morgo sees an opportunity, I want him to take it.”
Morgan, 26, said talk of a crisis meeting with Thurston was premature, but they had discussed their woes.
Fullback Lachlan Coote will play this weekend.