Rookie tipped to lift game
HE was far from overawed in his NRL debut, and Cowboys forward Francis Molo has backed rookie Peter Hola to only improve in his second game against the Knights today.
Hola was drafted on to the bench yesterday, with ballplaying middle man John Asiata to start at lock in place of the injured Jason Taumalolo.
The Northern Pride forward made a strong start to life in the top grade averaging more than 10 metres per carry in a short 10-minute stint against the Broncos last week.
But his workload is expected to increase this week with Taumalolo out, and Molo has backed the 20-year-old to handle himself well against a handy Knights forward pack.
“(Pete) is a young, up-andcoming young forward. He will be one to keep your eyes on. He went good for the 10-12 minutes he was on there,” Molo said.
“I am trying to worry about myself, but if I can give him a few tips to help his game I will definitely (do it).
“He is strong, he is big. He is a bit like Jase, he has speed and footwork off the mark and hopefully we get to see it this week and in future.
“It will be a big challenge for our forward pack to stand up, but we will just worry about ourselves.”
Cowboys coach Paul Green said he was impressed with the way Hola acquitted himself in a high-intensity game.
“I thought he was good. What he did while he was out there was good, and it is what you want to see from young guys,” he said. “He wasn’t overawed by the experience and got stuck into it.”
But it was a debut that ended on the wrong end of the scoreline, a loss that ended the Cowboys’ hopes of playing finals football.
Molo said the side was still feeling pressure of their own creation.
“There is lot of pride (on the line),” he said.
The Cowboys will be sweating on the fitness of Jordan Mclean who took part in yesterday’s captain’s run but is still not a certainty to take the field today at Mcdonald Jones Stadium. Green will give his vicecaptain every chance to prove his fitness, but if he is ruled out it will force a reshuffle with winger Murray Taulagi in Newcastle as 18th man.