KAYO Mclean return a boost for side
OR STREAM ON
COWBOYS vice-captain Jordan Mclean is set to return from a calf injury sustained in the loss to the New Zealand Warriors.
And his injection is expected to go a long way to guiding the North Queensland youngsters through the rigours of the testing period they find themselves in.
Three straight losses was made more difficult with Mclean’s absence – along with Michael Morgan, Valentine Holmes and John Asiata – but the prop’s experience will be pivotal to any success they may get against the Newcastle Knights.
Having started his tenure with the Cowboys with such success, coach Paul Green is in unfamiliar territory after missing the finals for the past two campaigns and now faces an uphill battle to break that drought in 2020.
He said Mclean’s addition would help alleviate the pressure on the younger players of the side who were still coming to terms with what being successful in the NRL took.
“We haven’t been playing well but we’ve had good things out there too – those guys haven’t been through the tough stuff of the NRL and having Jordan back will be a boost for them,” Green said.
“A lot of where we’ve been questioned the most is probably around attitude and pride in performance, we only answer that on the footy field.
“Where we were pretty disappointing last week, particularly in the first half, that’s not what we want to be about. I can’t say it’s not what we are about because it’s what we’ve dished out, but that should be motivation.”
In a boost for players on the fringe of Cowboys selection, a scratch match against the Knights non-game day squad members has been arranged to occur prior to kick off.
It is expected that the game will be played nine-a-side with the field dimensions brought in at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
Green has noted an increase in urgency and intensity at training on the back of their lacklustre past three games.
However with no second tier league to fall back on due to the coronavirus pandemic he said games of this nature would be an important outlet for those who did the work on the training paddock without the reward of lining up on game day.