Lessons learned in tough match-up
COWBOYS assistant coach Josh Hannay has rued North Queensland’s poor ball control after the side went down to the Melbourne Storm in their final pre-season trial on Saturday.
The Cowboys travelled down to the Victorian capital with their strongest team possible, but came out of the gates dusty as a ruthless Storm outfit made them pay.
Melbourne halves Cameron Munster and Jahrome Hughes both starred for the Storm in the 22-14 victory, while young hooker Harry Grant also impressed.
The Storm made the most of a strong breeze in the first half, scoring tries through Justin Olam, Suliasi Vunivalu, Grant and Dale Finucane.
The Cowboys’ lone try in the first half came through Justin O’Neill before Valentine Holmes and Kyle Feldt crossed after the break.
Speaking at the Townsville airport yesterday, Hannay said the Cowboys shot themselves in the foot with turnovers.
“The performance was a little bit scrappy, our ball control wasn’t where we’d like it to be,” Hannay said. “As a result it meant we couldn’t get into any real rhythm with the footy and also put a fair bit of pressure on our defence.
“If anything we can take out of that trial is a reminder how crucial controlling the footy is to the success of your game.”
Hannay said they couldn’t use pre-season as an excuse for the poor handling, as they’d completed well seven days earlier in a quagmire at Cairns.
Cowboys face the Broncos in a blockbuster round one fixture on March 13 at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.