COWBOYS’ BIG ‘WHAT IF’
SCOTT Drinkwater has been such a revelation since joining the Cowboys midway through the season that he has coach Paul Green asking ‘what if’.
What if the young fullback had been at the club since the start of the season?
The former Storm fullback, who completed his apprenticeship under one of the game’s best in Billy Slater, has played seven games since joining the Cowboys at the end of June scoring three tries and setting up a further two.
He has added an extra element to the Cowboys in attack, an area where the club has struggled this season averaging 15.4 points per game, with only the Bulldogs (13.1) worse.
The Cowboys rank the worst in the competition for line breaks per game (3) and tackle breaks (18.7) as the side languishes in 15th spot on the ladder.
But as Drinkwater’s combination with halves pairing Michael Morgan and Jake Clifford continues to improve, the side will be able to unlock more of its attacking potential.
Drinkwater was a rare shining light in the Cowboys demoralising loss to Newcastle last weekend, almost scoring a potential match turning try and showing off his kicking game down the left edge with two forced drop outs.
“Drinky is getting more comfortable, and the more he is we are starting to see those extra parts of his game come out,” Green said.
“He is only six games into his NRL career, he is only a rookie and you can forget that sometimes.
“That combination, him and Morgo have only played three games together.
“Those combinations are important.
“It’s almost a ‘what if’. What if we had have had Drinky in the pre-season, where would we be?
“There is no point looking backwards, we have to move forwards.”
The Cowboys went back to the drawing board this week as they look ahead to tomorrow night’s clash with Panthers.
With nothing but pride left to play for, the Cowboys need to dig deep within to find the motivation to get up for the final three weeks of the season.
It is also a chance to get the early ground work in for the upcoming pre-season, with the club full of hope they can turn their slide around in 2020.