Eels loss a spur for finals run
AT the time, Scott Bolton called it “embarrassing”. Cowboys teammate Michael Morgan condemned it as “probably our worst game of the year”.
But the insipid 26- 6 round nine loss to Parramatta in front of their own fans can now be considered a turning point for the Cowboys’ surge into the finals.
The Eels left side, spearheaded by Corey Norman and Semi Radradra, ran amok in Townsville.
It was the Cowboys’ third home loss this season and prop Bolton didn’t mince his words afterwards.
“It’s embarrassing, it’s what it is,” Bolton said.
“I can guarantee you one thing, we’ll be coming out here next week and working on all these things, it will be a pretty honest review.
“We’re just not tough enough in areas and consistent in games. We’ve got to be honest with each other and accountable for each other’s efforts, it’s got to be better if we want to win games.”
Coach Paul Green made it abundantly clear to his players that they needed to roll up their sleeves more.
The next week, when some of their stars were absent for a representative round, the rest of the playing group were flogged at training.
Back rower Gavin Cooper joked that some players were checking their family trees to any Pacific nation heritage which could help them escape the torture.
The Cowboys generally hold a review into their progress after each third of the season. The meeting the week after the Eels loss was honest and brutal, particularly in regards to their defensive failings.
But it helped steer them back on the right path.
They won seven of their next nine games, a stretch which ensured the injury- affected team made finals despite losing five of their last six regular season matches.
Cowboys assistant coach David Fairleigh said they heeded the lessons dished out by the aggressive and physical Eels back in April.
They now know what to expect in Saturday’s semi- final rematch at ANZ Stadium.
“We didn’t play well that night,” he said. “There was a couple of games this year where we weren’t at our best and that was certainly one of them.
“Credit to Parramatta, that night they outplayed us and were too strong, and we couldn’t contain them.
“( But) both sides have come a long way since then, we certainly learned from that game and I’m pretty confident we won’t see a repeat of that on Saturday night.”
The Cowboys should be boosted by the return of representative centre Justin O’Neill ( dislocated elbow), who travelled with the team to Sydney yesterday.
However, the man he’s most likely to replace, Javid Bowen, also flew out of Townsville.
Fairleigh insisted O’Neill isn’t a certain starter, but it seems only a hiccup at today’s captain’s run stands in his way.
“We’ve still got to do a final fitness test of ‘ Juzee’ but his elbow is coming along OK,” he said.
“He’s obviously travelled down with the team but he has to get through a few things yet before he plays. It’s a pretty serious injury.”
Fairleigh also dismissed Jake Granville’s hamstring injury as “as minor as you can get”, and the hooker isn’t in any doubt despite sitting out training on Wednesday.