Control rage, Scott warns
NORTH Queensland Cowboys co- captain Matt Scott says his forwards must channel their aggression for good as they aim to pay back the Newcastle Knights for a Round 2 bruising.
The Knights put on repeated late hits on Cowboys star playmaker Johnathan Thurston in the 16- 14 victory in Townsville, prompting coach Paul Green to call for protection for playmakers.
Scott said after that game the Knights had “pushed the boundaries” with their style.
Knights mentor Rick Stone was unapologetic after the win, saying his side had not made a target of co- captain Thurston, who was left with a black eye after the game, and his side had just been competitive for the 80 minutes.
The NRL match review committee and judiciary’s lack of punishment for Beau Scott and Chris Houston enraged North Queens- land and has set up the stage for another fiery encounter on Anzac Day.
The teams’ fortunes have reversed since then, with the Cowboys aiming to pick up their fifth straight win and the Knights having lost their past three games.
Payback would be sweet with a win at Newcastle’s Hunter Stadium and Scott said his side should not step away from the style of footy that had been winning them games just to look for a big hit.
“I think the increasing aggression, especially in guys like ‘ Jimmy’ Tamou and Jason ( Taumalolo), in defence has been a big part in why we’ve been winning games lately and we can’t take away from that,” Scott said.
“We’ll be looking to keep that aggression but still stay in our structures and our defensive patterns.
“You can’t go out of your patterns and that’s what has been working for us the last few weeks.’’
The Cowboys forward pack put their hands up after the Knights loss, saying they needed to take better care of Thurston and Scott said the way the side had been playing in recent weeks meant Newcastle would have a tougher job getting to him in Round 8.
“I think we’re certainly playing better footy and we’re defending a lot better which obviously makes it a lot harder to get to Johnathan,” Scott said of Saturday’s match.
“Hopefully he’s learned a few ways to look after himself and it’s the type of footy we’re playing, that’s the way we’re able to protect him by defending well and applying some pressure in attack and hopefully beating them on the scoreboard.”