Hess vows to step up

COWBOYS back-rower Coen Hess says the club’s young forwards have taken it as a personal challenge to muscle up through the middle in tomorrow night’s blockbuster with the Melbourne Storm at 1300SMILES Stadium.

The Cowboys have been the best defensive team in the competition over the past two months, but their pride took a hit last weekend as the Roosters steamrolled them in the second half.

The Roosters dominated the yardage game to run for almost twice as many metres as the visitors, helping them to score 16 unanswered points and clinch an important victory in the race towards the finals.

Hess said the Cowboys were determined to learn from their mistakes.

“We knew the task ahead of us and we knew it’d be a very tough game, so in that respect I don’t think anyone took it lightly, but I think as younger guys we learnt a lesson about needing to step up in those tough games,” Hess said.