COOTE DESPERATE TO REMAIN AT THE COWBOYS
Fullback playing for future with NRL recall offering chance to impress
OFF-CONTRACT full back Lachlan Coote has reaffirmed his desire to stay in North Queensland as he looks to help the Cowboys salvage something from their disastrous NRL 2018 campaign.
The Cowboys will not play finals for the first time since 2010 and their last eight games of the season now shape as an audition for Coote to prove why he deserves a new deal.
The 2015 premiership winner has been seemingly out of favour with coach Paul Green, who dropped Coote to the Queensland Cup and shifted Michael Morgan to fullback.
The Origin period and Morgan’s season- ending bicep injury saw Coote earn an NRL recall, but the 28- year- old has yet to secure his future beyond this season.
Despite his frustrating year on the field, Coote has always said that his preference is to stay in Townsville with his young family and he was hopeful the door was not yet closed.
“My intentions have always been to stay here at this club,” Coote said.
“There’s been a little bit of chat ( contract negotiations), but I think I’ve just got to go out there and do my best … and let the management and my football take care of that.
“It has been pretty disappointing for myself being in and out of first grade – that’s something I didn’t have in my mindset at the start of the year – but that’s footy, I guess.
“You’ve just got to get your head around it and try and get back to playing consistent and at your best.”
Coote sacrificed $ 1.8 million when he shunned the Roosters in 2016 and he would likely have to take another pay cut with the club believed to be chasing Sharks flyer Valentine Holmes.
The Ignatius Park product is off contract at the end of next season and has been heavily linked with a move home to Townsville, but Coote insisted he wasn’t disheartened by the Holmes rumours.
“I can’t really be worrying about that. If I’m worried about that then I’m in the wrong headspace,” he said.
“If that’s the case ( taking a pay cut) then I’ve been in that situation before in the last negotiation so they know how I feel about the club.”
While Coote is playing for his future, he said every Cowboys player was desperate to get back to their best and farewell superstar halfback Johnathon Thurston on a more positive note.
The emotion of Thurston’s final season had many fans and experts alike tipping the Cowboys as near certainties for the premiership, especially given their fairytale run to last year’s decider.
But that hasn’t translated into on- field results and Coote said it was important to the club that they find a way to keep improving even with the finals now out of reach.
“We’ve been a bit up and down all year, but hopefully we can do it for Johnno and get a good back end of the season and send him out the right way,” Coote said.
“It was always in the back of our minds, what he’s done for the game and this club as well and the kind of person he is.”