AND THE 2017 TUXIE GOES TO ...
THERE’S been last minute wins, injury carnage, a host of debutants and a fair share of Cowboys courage over the regular season.
It made my job of awarding the prestigious* ‘ Tuxies” for 2017 a more difficult task than the club’s overworked medical staff have faced this year.
But here are the inaugural winners of one of the most soughtafter gongs in the NRL.** * Not true ** Definitely not true The Tuxie award for Best Newcomer in a Supporting Role: Corey Jensen
The man dubbed the ‘ Terminator’ for his obsession for throwing huge chunks of metal around in the gym with ridiculous ease has developed faster than his ‘ guns’ this year after injuries to key forwards Matt Scott and Patrick Kaufusi. He has racked up 13 games, mostly off the bench, in his rookie season and has been rewarded with a new two- year deal. The 23- year- old would have benefited immensely from taking on a bigger work load than expected.
The Tuxie ‘ John Sattler’ award for Outstanding Courage Under Fire: Te Maire Martin
There’s not much to the slightlybuilt five- eighth and he barely has a scratch on him, but that exterior defies the bravery he has shown in his short time at the Cowboys. He has played on for a month with a knee injury which should sideline him for a few weeks, earning the instant respect of his teammates since joining the club from Penrith midyear. It’s impressive resilience from a player still relatively new to first grade.
The Tuxie award for Biggest Improver in a Lead Role: Scott Bolton
Much like Beyoncé with Destiny’s Child, some players don’t realise their full potential until they decide to go out on their own. That’s been the case for prop Scott Bolton, who has thrived as a leader upfront without Scott ( knee), Ben Hannant ( retired) and James Tamou ( Penrith). He was content to play a support role behind that ‘ A list’ trio off the bench, but has come into his own in the starting side and has been the Cowboys’ most consistent player.
The Tuxie award for Best Breakout Talent: Coen Hess
At the Logies this award normally goes to a Home and Away or Neighbours ‘ star’ who isn’t seen or heard from again, but there’s little doubt the same fate awaits for Hess. The ‘ Hess Express’ has scored more tries than any other forward in the NRL this year with 12 and made his Origin debut for Queensland in games two and three. He has shown signs of fatigue recently, understandable given it’s his first full year of NRL and his shift from the back row to the middle.
The Tuxie award for Achievement in a Foreign Role: Ethan Lowe
Normally the Cowboys can rely on Johnathan Thurston to knock over the clutch goals, like he did in OriginOr II with a busted shoulder for Queensland.Qu But in round 16 against Penrith,Pe the pressure was on thirdstr string kicker Ethan Lowe to step up wi with the game on the line. After Kyle Fe Feldt levelled scores in the dying m minutes with an acrobatic take over Jo Josh Mansour to score in the corner, th the spotlight was on Lowe to seal the de deal. He did just that, nailing the si sideline conversion when squinting in into the afternoon sun straight b between the uprights.
The Tuxie award for Best Game of the Year: Cowboys v Broncos, round two at Suncorp Stadium
A game against the Broncos the s standout clash of the year? That’s a about as surprising as Cameron S Smith winning hooker of the year at the Dally Ms. As usual the match had it all, intensity, heroics, busted players soldiering on under duress and pure quality rugby league. Fortunately for the Cowboys it had a familiar ending, with a golden point field goal from Thurston winning the g game. Unfortunately though, Scott went down with his season- ending injury.
The Tuxie award for Best Team P Player: Michael Morgan
Morgan is used to playing Robin to JT’s Batman — picking and c choosing when to grab the spotlight b but letting the main man control the narrative. Thurston’s shoulder injury has forced him to step up and direct th the side, a role he was initially re reluctant to embrace after being the sid sidekick for so long. He was also ha happy to sit in the background when M Maroons debutant Cam Munster wa was given the nod to play five- eighth in Origin III, which shifted him out to the centres.
The Tuxie Award for Best Twist Ending: Johnathan Thurston and Gavin Cooper
The pair is the Matt Damon and Ben Affleck of the NRL. They’re inseparable mates and they combined for one of their more memorable performances in round one against the Raiders. In golden point Thurston’s field goal hit the bottom of the crossbar, with Cooper winning the race to the ball in the ingoal. If it wasn’t Thurston you’d be convinced it was a fluke, but …