Cowboys still have more gears: Chad
THINGS will only get better. That’s the message from Cowboys co-captain Chad Townsend about the team’s spine following the 34-8 win over the Dragons on Sunday in Sydney.
Townsend was glowing in his praise for halfback Tom Dearden and hooker Reece Robson, while fullback Scott Drinkwater scored a try double and set up another for winger Kyle Feldt.
Townsend, 31, said he was enjoying the rise of the Cowboys’ young guns and said there was still room for improvement from the trio.
Drinkwater is the oldest member of the Cowboys’
spine at 25, with Robson, 24, and Dearden, 21, also young in terms of age and experience.
Townsend was delighted at the performances of his teammates but promised fans there was more to come.
“I think as we play more football together over the year, we will get better, 100 per cent,” he said.
“We’re evolving in a way where we know each other’s game and we’re confident with what we do.
“But in this competition, you must keep evolving.
“Those guys are playing some great football now.
“I thought Reece was tremendous (against the Dragons) and Tommy looked
dangerous every time he touched the ball.
“We are evolving as a spine and we want to get better because we need to throughout the back end of the year.”
The Cowboys face the Bulldogs in Bundaberg this Sunday before returning to Sydney six days later to face the Roosters at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Coach Todd Payten was delighted with his side’s defending as they overcame a tough challenge against the Dragons, especially in a firsthalf arm-wrestle, and said that could again prove key in the final throes of the regular season.
“I think given the congestion in the top four and the
bottom four (of the top eight) every win, moving into the next five weeks, is crucial,” he said.
“So, it’s important for us that we came in and performed our way.
“I thought we did that. The pressure that we built and the resilience we showed on our try line gave us the ability to run away with some tries at the end of the game.
“That is what we were doing in the first two-thirds of the competition.”
The Cowboys strengthened their position at the top of the ladder, with Sunday’s win taking them two points clear in second ahead of Cronulla.
They play two games on the road before returning home to play the Warriors in round 23. Payten said his team’s performances away from home had been a big factor in this season’s successes and could be pivotal as they look to secure a final at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
“We’ve already had a conversation around it as a group (a top-two finish),” he said.
“We know how important it is to finish as high up as possible.
“Playing at home in front of our home fans for a final is a small advantage and one we’re going to fight for.
“We sit where we sit because of our record on the road.”