Green says team are more than Taumalolo
PAUL Green has hit back at suggestions the Cowboys are a one-man band and rely on barnstorming lock Jason Taumalolo to win games.
Taumalolo is racing the clock to recover from a knee injury in time for North Queensland’s clash against the New Zealand Warriors on the Central Coast tomorrow night.
The 2016 Dally M Medal winner was named in jersey No.20 for the Warriors game, with Green admitting the Tongan powerhouse had to train strongly today to have any chance of playing.
Taumalolo had been in sensational form, playing a key role in North Queensland’s 2-1 start to the season with incredible individual efforts against the Bulldogs and Titans.
The Cowboys lacked punch in a 26-16 loss to Cronulla last Saturday, raising concerns about North Queensland’s title credentials without Taumalolo.
While the durable Taumalolo has only missed 13 games since 2014, the Cowboys have only won five of those.
Of the 10 games he has missed since 2017, the Cowboys only won two.
The Cowboys had a similar record without the mercurial Johnathan Thurston, but Green said the current group wasn’t too reliant on Taumalolo and his second-half heroics.
“People think everyone sits back and lets Jase do that once he gets back on. That’s not the case at all,” he said.
“It’s more of a reflection of what Jason wants to do for the team.
“He wants to do whatever he can to make a difference.
“Last week I thought everyone contributed well.
“While we keep doing that we’ll improve as a team.”