Wrestle-fest not daunting

NORTH Queensland are bracing for Wrestlemania, with leading stars admitting it is “inevitable” the Storm will try spoiling tactics to ruin the Cowboys’ title dream.

Test back-rower Jason Taumalolo yesterday had a simple message if the Storm believe they can defensively suffocate the Cowboys this Saturday night, declaring: “Bring it on.”

Melbourne are the NRL’s ruck-control masters and will not provide the latitude that allowed Cowboys forwards to maul Cronulla’s midfield in their 39-0 rout on Saturday night.

Storm coach Craig Bellamy is sick and tired of rivals’ incessant public barbs about his side’s defensive strategies.

Roosters coach Trent Robinson launched a fresh attack last week, accusing referees of allowing the Storm to slow the ruck with wrestling tactics in their 20-18 finals loss.

Cowboys centre Justin O’Neill spent five seasons at Melbourne and said the Storm would not resile from the controversial methods that had underpinned their success under Bellamy.

“Their defence definitely does favour a bit of wrestle and they pride themselves on their defence,” he said.

“Look, it’s probably inevitable they are going to defend like that to shut us down.

“They are up there in the stats among the best defensive teams, but our pack was great (against the Sharks) and we’ll have to do the job again this week in Melbourne.”

The Storm will be confident of delivering the bullet to the Cowboys’ season this Saturday night at AAMI Park after prevailing 14-6 at the same venue three weeks ago.

But Melbourne face an ominous assignment muzzling the Cowboys side, which charged for a whopping 1720 metres to Cronulla’s 974 in Townsville on Saturday night.

Taumalolo said the Cowboys’ destruction of a big-name Sharks pack has given the side the self-belief to cope with Melbourne’s ruthless ruck control.

“We’re looking forward to taking on the Melbourne boys up front,” he said.

“We know we’ve been ordinary the past month but as a forward group we had a good chat before the Sharks game. (Cowboys co-captain) Matty Scott told us we needed to work harder and needed power running through the middle and we followed that plan.

“This win gives us confidence and our mindset won’t change now ... bring on next week.”

Cowboys assistant coach David Furner, who won the 1994 premiership with Canberra, believes North Queensland’s class of 2015 have the toughness to combat the Storm.

“We had to show we have that hard edge and we’ve done that the last few weeks,” he said.

“We now have Melbourne in Melbourne and if you don’t have the defensive attitude down there, you won’t win.

“The Storm not only have good structures, they have very good individuals and they are led well by Cameron Smith.

“(Coach Paul Green) has been telling the boys that the teams with good defensive records win grand finals and they’ve responded.”