Green’s keen on derby chances

COWBOYS coach Paul Green insists Thursday’s derby against the Broncos won’t be a fizzer as North Queensland fights to avoid the wooden spoon.

The latest instalment of the hugely popular Queensland derby is lacking its usual hype with the Cowboys sitting 15th on the ladder and Brisbane hovering in seventh.

The past eight clashes between the Queensland rivals have been hotly contested affairs dating back to the 2015 finals series.

Four of those games have gone into extra-time and four have been one-point margins with the ledger split at four wins apiece.

While the Broncos are in finals contention, North Queensland has had a season to forget and is now in grave danger of collecting a dreaded wooden spoon.

The Cowboys showed signs of life in a 26-20 loss to the Roosters on Saturday night and Green was adamant they would rise for the Broncos at 1300SMILES Stadium.

“We generally get up for those games,” he said.

“The Broncos games have always been pretty tight ones.

“It went down to the wire earlier in the year.

“It was only a four-point ball game and we got beaten by a goalpost really.

“Hopefully, it will be a big crowd and I expect us to be able to get up for it.”

The Broncos and Cowboys fought out another epic derby in Round 2 this year at Suncorp Stadium.

North Queensland looked to have snatched a dramatic UNDAUNTED: Paul Green. victory in the final stages only for prop Scott Bolton to charge into a goalpost and miss scoring what would have been the matchwinning try.

The epic rivalry kicked off in week one of the 2015 finals before the Cowboys beat Brisbane in the legendary extratime grand final where Johnathan Thurston delivered North Queensland its first NRL title with a golden point field goal.

Thurston was inspirational in North Queensland’s fightback from a 26-8 deficit against the Roosters as the Cowboys produced near perfect ball handling, completing 33 of 34 sets, and will face the Broncos for the last time.

“We showed a bit of character to get back in the game, but like the rest of our season it was a little bit too late,” Thurston said. “We lost some momentum after halftime and didn’t defend very well.”

The Roosters contest was one of North Queensland’s best games of the season.

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