BACK THE BOSS: COWBOYS SUPPORT GREEN OVER TOUGH CALL ON MATT SCOTT
LEADING Cowboys players last night backed Paul Green after the North Queensland coach dropped a selection bombshell by overlooking chief enforcer Matt Scott for Sunday night’s grand final.
Green yesterday made the toughest call of his coaching career, sensationally omitting co-captain Scott from his 17man squad for the NRL decider against Melbourne at ANZ Stadium.
Even Storm figures were bracing for the return of Scott, who was tipped to make a fairytale comeback from a knee reconstruction after tearing his ACL against Brisbane in Round 2.
Scott assured Green he was fit to play, but the coach advised his No.1 prop that he would stick with the troops that have courageously catapulted the Cowboys to a second grand final in three seasons.
The move prised open fresh grand-final wounds for Scott, who has previously spoken of his heartache after being named 18th man for the club’s maiden grand-final appearance in 2005.
Incredibly, a fit Scott will watch the grand final from the ANZ Stadium stands, but in-form Cowboys duo Jason Taumalolo and Michael Morgan believe Green has made the right call.
“I’m not too Taumalolo said.
“The guys who have taken the field in the last three weeks have done their job well and they deserve their spot for the grand final.
“It was Greeny’s call. “He would have lost some sleep over it, but we had a team meeting first and Paul announced then that ‘Thumper’ wouldn’t be playing. It’s a big call but a good one in our eyes.
“He (Scott) was pretty disappointed after it was announced he wouldn’t be playing. He probably deserved a shot, but in saying that so did everyone else who has been playing.
“Being the great captain that he is, Thumper will still be there cheering the boys on and mentoring the younger guys who haven’t played in a grand final before.”
Scott is likely to be named in the Cowboys’ extended squad today, but he will only receive a grand-final reprieve if there is a last-minute injury mishap in the build-up to the ANZ decider.
A shock resurrection loomed when Green named Scott in his 21-man squad last week against the Roosters. surprised,”