CLASSY COWS CAN BE THE CHAMPIONS IN THEIR FIELD
THE Cowboys go into this season with the genuine ability to win the competition. Flying under the radar doesn’t work and won’t be the case. They finished third last year and were the second-best defensive outfit in the competition. Every one of the younger players who performed last year has had another pre-season under their belts and some got Origin and World Cup experience. They should genuinely think they can win the premiership.
BACKS
The Cowboys ooze class in the backline. Valentine Holmes is now one of the best centres in the competition and Kyle Feldt has done it for a long time on the wing. Murray Taulagi is now a Kangaroos player. Peta Hiku just got the job done last year and had a terrific season. Halves Tom Dearden and Chad Townsend are a great match. The depth is strong with guys like Ben Hampton, Brendan Elliot, Gehamat Shibasaki and Tom Chester waiting for a go.
SPINE
It’s the second season of this spine playing together and they will undoubtedly be better. Reece Robson is in the top four hookers in the game and Scott Drinkwater showed what he can produce at fullback. I’ve had a big rap on Tom Dearden for a while and he showed what he can do last season for the Cowboys and in that fabulous Origin debut. Chad Townsend has won a competition and his style of football complements that team.
FORWARDS
This is one of the top three packs in the NRL. They’ve got a great balance with Jordan McLean finding some form last year and Reuben Cotter showing what the modern-day middle forward is. They found a role for Coen Hess that worked and Jeremiah Nanai’s ceiling is untapped. Jason Taumalolo no longer needs to carry the team, while Griffin Neame has a huge future. The injured guys returning in Heilum Luki and Mitch Dunn are two great players to bring back and they’ll have some solid toilers in Jack Gosiewski and James Tamou who will play a role throughout the year.