Cowboy saddles up for final fling
RETIRING Cowboys legend Matt Scott only needs to look in a mirror for a bit of extra motivation ahead of his final Queensland derby.
Scott, 34, will call time on his career at the end of this season and faces an emotional final derby against the Broncos at 1300SMILES Stadium tonight.
But it is the scars of derbies past – more specifically his first ever meeting with the Cowboys’ arch rivals – that will fuel the veteran prop.
As a fiery young bull, Scott was thrown into the furnace in only his fourth NRL game, travelling to Suncorp Stadium for the opening game of 2006.
Not one to let the occasion overawe him, Scott threw himself into the contest in the opening seconds only to come off second best against one of the sport’s greatest.
“For a 20-year-old (it) was quite intimidating,” he said. “I can remember popping my AC joint out of my shoulder trying to tackle Petero (Civoniceva) off the kick-off.,” Scott said.
“It didn’t pop all the way out. I tore a bit of ligament and my joint popped up about half an inch.
“You can actually still see it, and I have got Petero to thank for that. He was probably one of the hardest blokes to tackle that I have ever had the pleasure of tackling.”
The Cowboys went on to win that game in front of 46,000 rabid fans with mercurial halfback Johnathan Thurston scoring a rare hat-trick.
But it was a baptism of fire for Scott and would typify the rugged forward’s approach to every Queensland derby thereafter.
And they have not become any easier according to Scott, with the Broncos forward production line hitting full tilt this season with the emergence of Payne Haas, Tevita Pangai Jr and David Fifita.
“That was a good game to have early in your career, and it seems the games are getting faster and harder every time we play them,” Scott said.
“Some of my toughest memories on the field are from derbies, and some of the greatest. We have had a few close wins and we have also had a few tough losses.”
But Scott said the emotions will be put to the side tonight as the Cowboys aim to get their season back on track.
The Cowboys must win all five remaining regular-season games if they are to have any chance of playing finals football.
“They are all must-wins,” Scott said.
“Hopefully it will get us to play some of our best footy, we tend to play best when our backs are against the wall and hopefully we can use that motivation to hit a bit of form.”