Cowboys getting closer, Green says
COACH Paul Green has scoffed at suggestions the Cowboys’ season could be on the line when they host the Bulldogs in Townsville on Saturday night.
With North Queensland – tipped by many as premiership favourite at the start of this season – looking to avoid five straight losses for the first time under Green’s tutelage, history is not in the side’s favour if they slump to a 1-5 record.
According to Fox Sports statistics, only seven teams in the NRL era have played finals after posting just one win from their first six games, and none have gone on to make the grand final.
Green was quick to point out the Cowboys had already defied history in 2015 when they became the first team since the introduction of compulsory grand finals to win a premiership after losing their first three games.
And last season the Cowboys became just the second team to make the grand final from eighth place.
Green is adamant they won’t be stressing over statistics as they prepare for the Bulldogs.
“I love when people trot out stats,” a sardonic Green said.
“They said in 2015 that no team has won a comp for 50 years or whatever when they lose their first three too. I don’t read too much into that.
“We’ve been in a similar position to this before so it’s about what we do on the field. It’s not about what history will tell us can or can’t happen.”
With only one win on the board in 2018, the Bulldogs will be just as desperate as the Cowboys but Green intends to keep the focus on his own team following their promising effort in last weekend’s 22-12 loss to the Warriors in New Zealand.
“I’m not too sure about them (the Bulldogs). I’m more concerned about us at the moment and that’s where our focus is,” Green said.
“We weren’t too far off last weekend. Our start didn’t help us but we played a lot of good footy in there as well against a team that is full of confidence in the Warriors.
“It just gives that evidence that our game is good enough when we execute it properly. That’s what we’ve got to take out of that game.”