Loss of to drive Blackhawks as they battle to secure finals spot

Greeny

BLACKHAWKS utility Kyle Laybutt says the team will use the sudden death of Cowboys premiership coach Paul Green as extra motivation ahead of three must-win games leading into the Queensland Cup finals.

The Blackhawks’ finals push has stumbled in recent games, and they now sit 10th on the ladder with games against the PNG Hunters (today), Tweed Seagulls and Norths Devils to round off the regular season.

Laybutt (pictured) is one of several players in the Blackhawks squad with links to Green, whose passing on Thursday shocked the Australian rugby league community.

The hooker played two games for the Cowboys in 2017 under Green but said his and the other players’ links went deeper than that and he was sure the team would do its best to honour their former mentor in the right way.

“He was my first-grade coach for three years,” Laybutt said.

“He contributed a lot to my development from an under-20s player into a senior player.

“I do owe a lot to him. He was a very good and very smart coach and taught me a lot of things.

“I know a lot of boys have probably either been in the system or been around Greeny at some stage in their career.

“I am sure they are going to be fired up and try and do their best to pay their respects.”

The Blackhawks are just two points behind Easts Tigers in ninth,

Northern Pride in eighth, and Tweed Seagulls in seventh with Devils (sixth) and Wynnum Manly (fifth) a point further ahead.

Laybutt said the team was, in effect, playing three finals in a row, starting with today’s clash with the Hunters on the Gold Coast.

“That’s how we are treating them (as finals),” he said.

“We know that we are versing teams who are close to us on the ladder. There are heaps of teams logjammed in there from fifth to 10th position. We know that we need to win these games to secure a spot in the finals.

“We want to make sure it is all into our own hands and just win the games so we don’t have to rely on other results.” Today’s game was originally scheduled to be played in Port Moresby, with the Hunters set to play on home soil for the first time since 2019. However, Queensland Rugby League chief executive officer Rohan Sawyer said advice suggested the risk of travelling to Papua New Guinea was high as a direct result of the recent elections.

Laybutt said while the players were disappointed at missing out on the chance to head to PNG, a move to south Queensland might work in the Blackhawks’ favour.

“I know the boys were excited to head over there.

“We were all pumped, probably just as much as they were.

“It’s unfortunate but I guess it’s not going to be the worst thing playing on the Gold Coast.”