That Scott to be tough
Are North Queensland doing right thing by bringing co-captain back?
THERE’S only one question that needs to be answered before Matt Scott takes his place in the Cowboys’ team for the NRL grand final.
Is he fit?
The Cowboys’ run through the finals has been extraordinary and sentiment says the players who got them through to the decider should be rewarded for their efforts.
But they won’t beat Melbourne with emotion. To be able to compete with the best team in the league, North Queensland need to be able to field the best team possible – and Scott is a crucial part of that.
Let’s remember, the co-captain has had an injury, not an absence from the league.
Scott may not have played since Round 2 but he’s worked every bit as hard as his teammates to get himself ready to play on Sunday.
His work ethic and discipline have continued to provide an example to his teammates – and that won’t change this week.
The Cowboys’ medical staff will not risk clearing the front-rower if they believe he is a chance of reinjuring himself. But the reward to Paul Green and his players of having an Origin and Test player, not to mention a leader of Scott’s calibre, coming into the side cannot be underestimated.
Scott will not look to take a place away from another player just for the glory of playing in a grand final and will realise the sacrifice another player will make for him to take his place in the team. SOMETIMES tough calls need to be made. This is one of them.
As legendary a figure as Matt Scott is at the Cowboys, Paul Green should do all he can to take an unchanged 17 into the grand final on Sunday.
The undermanned Cows have been inspirational week after week. They so nearly missed out on finals altogether but have now three games in a row stunned more fancied rivals in Sydney.
Of course players will say they are happy to step aside for Scott to make a comeback for the decider but that would be far from fair on the men who have got them this far.
This is a team who represent their region, battling away without fuss; no nonsense footballers like Scott Bolton playing out of their skin. Unless injury-enforced, it would simply be wrong to eject an incumbent for their co-captain, given he almost certainly is not at 100 per cent with no match fitness under his belt. Green did make one change during finals, bringing centre Justin O’Neill back from an injury layoff – but he was sidelined for four weeks, not 28 as in Scott’s case.
Brisbane’s selection gamble by playing Darius Boyd against Melbourne on Friday night was exposed, with the star fullback clearly restricted in his movement and unable to complete the match. Unfortunately there is no room for sentiment here. Scott will be invaluable around the Cowboys camp this week but the club need to trust the players who have led them into October.