Origin took toll but Cowboy eager to regain aggressive edge Hess has big hangover
COWBOYS star Coen Hess has delivered a brutal self- assessment of his second full year in the NRL, conceding he has fallen victim to a State of Origin hangover.
Hess made his Queensland debut in the final two games of last year, but said he has struggled mentally and physically to back up for the second- last Cowboys, who will miss finals for the first time since 2010.
Hess was far from North Queensland’s worst in last week’s 38- 12 loss in Canberra, running for 100 metres off 12 carries in 54 minutes off the bench.
But the 21- year- old refused to use his jam- packed schedule as an excuse and will focus on regaining the aggressive edge he based his superb rookie season around.
“I’ve played a fair few games the past two weeks but I didn’t really perform as well as I need to in Canberra, the fatigue factor is no excuse either,” Hess said.
“It definitely takes its toll, you play a few games in a short period of time.
“Being young, I have learn and accept that.
“My performances after Origin were nowhere near up to standard compared to some other boys who played Origin. to
“That’s something I can learn from, and something I definitely need to improve on.
“You do have aches and pains backing up, but mentally it can be tough playing a lot of minutes in a short peri- od of time.” Hess had his best Origin performance of the series in Game Three, rediscovering his fearless running game in the Maroons’ facesaving win.
“I’m probably at my best when I’m doing that,” Hess said. “In camp that’s all Kevvie ( Walters, Queensland coach) wanted me to do was run hard, and I think simplifying it made it better for me.
“That’s what I need to concentrate on during the back end of the year is running through the line.”
Hess revealed the squad feels guilty for not ensuring retiring co- captain Johnathan Thurston goes out a winner, which will be the main focus over the closing weeks.
“This year I haven’t really been playing that well. I have a few weeks now to hopefully find some form and get a few wins to make it good for Johnno,” Hess said.
“He’s been at the forefront of our club for 10- odd years and this year’s been pretty disappointing.
“As a playing group we’ve been taking it a bit personal that we’re not playing up to the standards that he’s set for a very long time.
“If we can get a few wins and make his last two months or so enjoyable for him it would be a good thing.”