Morgo stays on the ball with new role
THERE is no denying Michael Morgan misses the open pastures.
The moment he breaks through a gap in the defensive line, before creating nightmares for the retreating opposition fullback, is one he relishes.
It was also a common sight during the Cowboys’ sensational run to the 2017 grand final without mercurial half Johnathan Thurston.
But it is something that has been lacking in the past two years, with Morgan making five line breaks in two years despite averaging almost 15 a year over the previous three seasons.
It is a slide that has seen the playmaker come under attack in the media this week with Queensland legend Darren Lockyer suggesting Morgan is “well down on where he was” in 2017.
But the Cowboys captain has come out swinging and suggested the change in numbers was due to a different role he has in the side.
“I probably could run more, the challenge this year has been playing between a ballplayer and a ball runner,” he said.
“I have probably found myself trying to ball play more than running the ball. When you try to bring other people into the game, you sort of lose your running game.
“I do miss open space, but the way I have been playing is to stop defenders and create space on the outside. Previously I could just worry about running and where my opportunities were.
“Given (Jake Clifford) is still a young half, I did take more of a focus on distributing the ball and making sure it got to where the space was. It is just because I have been trying to give other people opportunities.” Morgan is also juggling his responsibilities as the Cowboys’ chief game manager, stepping up in the late stages to seal victories. It has been an area in which the club has struggled this season.
The Cowboys have lost five games this season by less than eight points, and have been in the lead in the dying minutes only to lose the game three times in the past month.
But the side will be looking to turn their fortunes around in the back end of the season, starting today against the Newcastle Knights.
“We have trained well again this week, which is what has been one good thing for our season,” he said. “We have always bounced back and trained well.”
There will be plenty of pressure on the Cowboys at Mcdonald Jones Stadium, with Newcastle’s finals hopes on the line. But Cowboys assistant coach David Fairleigh admitted the visitors were going into the game with a similar level of desire.
“They’re desperate and we’re desperate,” he said. “Playing Newcastle in Newcastle is always a tough challenge, but it is a game that we really want to win.”