EYE ON FUTURE
O’NEILL SAYS COWBOYS ‘REBUILDING’:
TWO-TIME premiership winner Justin O’Neill has rejected claims the Cowboys are going through their darkest chapter and says the club is building for the future.
TWO-TIME premiership winner Justin O’Neill has rejected claims the Cowboys are going through their darkest chapter and says the club is building for the future.
The Cowboys are preparing for their clash with secondplaced Newcastle on Saturday night as pressure mounts on the club to find some winning form.
Coach Paul Green’s future has come under question following their 36-20 loss to the Tigers while current and former players have pointed the finger squarely at the playing group – and put the onus on them to pull the club out of its slump.
After 173 first grade games with the Cowboys and Melbourne Storm, O’Neill believes the club is experiencing growing pains.
“It’s definitely feels new to me,” O’Neill said. “I feel like we’re going through a phase.
“We’ve had a lot of senior players and guys, who really steered the club, who have left.
“Now we’re seeing a lot of new faces coming through and I think it’s almost like the new era.
“It’s more important to have a strong culture at the club. The older players need to set the example for the younger players to build our club up to what it was.
“It’s definitely still there. Our culture is still very strong.
“It’s a … building phase where we need to stay strong and help these young guys through.”
Green has kept faith in his starting 13 this week and has handed them a chance at redemption against the in-form Knights.
With the Intrust Super Cup scrapped for the year, a bad loss this week could see some underperforming players sidelined for several weeks without any football.
O’Neill said Saturday’s clash at Queensland Country Bank Stadium was a good chance to release some pressure.
“I’ve seen it happen before in teams,” he said.
“They might not be going so well and it’s the really tough games (where) they end up putting a good performance together.
“It can make a big difference to a team’s season by getting a win under your belt, especially if it’s a decent win against a team you see at a high standard.”