Numbers work for underdogs

Defence was the greatest is issue for Paul Green’s men as th they missed a whopping 34 ta tackles per game and conceded an average of 20 points in the run home.

But the Cowboys have tightened up their defence during the finals, missing an exemplary 17 tackles per game while giving up just 15 points in wins over the Sharks, Eels, and Roosters.

North Queensland’s attack has also been sharper, scoring an average of 22 points compared to 14 per game as they limped into the finals.

Much of that could be attributed to their improved discipline as the Cowboys have cut down their errors, completing 85.56 per cent of their sets and giving up three fewer penalties per game.

The Cowboys are also winning the yardage battle in the finals, running for around 200 metres more as a team with wrecking ball Jason Taumalolo ( 230m per game) leading the charge.

It’s a stunning turnaround for a team that wasn’t even assured of a top eight spot until the Bulldogs toppled the Dragons in Round 26, but the Cowboys have definitely earned their grand final berth.

Halfback Michael Morgan ( left) has been the star of North Queensland’s finals campaign – with a try, four try assists, and five linebreak assists – but even he admits their golden run to make the grand final has been a little surprising.

“I believed we could do it. Whether I thought it would happen is different,” Morgan said.

“If you had have told me when the Dragons were in front of the Bulldogs in that last round that we were going to be in the grand final, I certainly wouldn’t have believed you.

“I always knew we had the potential to do it, it was just going out and executing that consistently.”

Cowboys coach Paul Green insists he always knew they could be competitive in the finals.

“I’ve said it all along, regardless of whatever happened this year, I was always proud of the way we competed in games,” Green said.

“I don’t remember a game where I didn’t feel we were in it. There might have been a game earlier ( in the season) against Parramatta here, but apart from that one game I didn’t ever feel like we weren’t in the game and that’s really what you want from your players.

“You want them to go out and compete as hard as they can. You might not execute everything properly, but if you’ve got that competitiveness in you as a team, I think that’s what makes you proud as a coach. coach.”