Old friends are foes for newest Cowboy
HE’S still adjusting to the balmy North Queensland winter, but Te Maire Martin believes his mid- season switch from the Panthers will help him to realise his rugby league potential.
The 21- year- old is being touted as the long- term successor to champion halfback Johnathan Thurston after officially linking with the Cowboys until the end of the 2019 season.
Martin knocked back the Cowboys two years ago when he joined Penrith, but he said the chance to serve an apprenticeship under the “best player in the world” in Thurston was too good to pass up again.
“It’s been a bit of a shock, but it’s something I wanted to do a long time ago and to finally get up here and settle all that has been good,” Martin said.
“When I left the Tigers, I came and had a look, wanting to come up here, but I just felt Penrith was the right place for me ( at the time).
“I’ve moved out of there and now I see it as a fresh start and a big learning curve for me. Obviously there’s some of the best players in the world here.
“You ask anyone around and they know who Johnathan Thurston is so I want to try and learn as much as I can off him. That was a big reason why I came up here.”
Martin is an outside chance to make his Cowboys debut against his former club on Saturday after being named in the 23- man squad as halves cover for Maroons stars Thurston and Michael Morgan.
The New Zealand international has just the one field session under his belt since arriving in Townsville on Sunday and Martin felt it could take some time to find his feet at the club.
“We haven’t said too much ( about my role) at the moment. I’m just trying to learn all the plays and the game plan,” Martin said.
“The boys have helped out a lot, knowing that I’m the new guy. Trying to learn the plays isn’t that easy so you’re not going to learn that in one day. They’ve been really helpful for me.
“I just want to bring my running game and try and improve other things in my game like my kicking and my defence. Whatever role I get then I want to do it to the best of my abilities.”
Martin credited Lachlan Coote for helping him get settled in his first few days with the Cowboys and the veteran fullback said there was already plenty to like about the club’s newest recruit.
“He’s been quiet, but good. You expect that from a young player coming halfway through the season,” Coote said.
“He’s only 21, but I think he’ll be good for our team and makes our depth even better.”
Martin’s new team mates have been pressing him for some inside mail on the Panthers ahead of Saturday’s clash at 1300SMILES Stadium, but the talented half admitted their off- the- cuff style was tough for even him to predict.
“I just told them they’re a good team, but they know pretty much everything,” Martin said.
“They’ve seen how they play with that real adlib style of footy and it’s hard to defend. You don’t really know what they’re going to do so I can’t say too much.”