BEAST IS BACK AT LAST
AT LAST, he is back.
Having been confined to the sidelines since his round one appearance against the Penrith Panthers, Jason Taumalolo will return to the Cowboys fold with a point to prove.
It has been a luckless campaign thus far for the North Queensland skipper, a pair of hand fractures keeping him from showcasing his damaging capabilities.
But perhaps what has been most frustrating for the star lock has been the inability to make amends.
After Taumalolo last took the field, coach Todd Payten called out his marquee man’s defensive efforts off the ball, as Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary was gifted excessive time to execute his already threatening kicking game.
Rarely has the 27-year-old been identified for his weak spots, but it was criticism he shouldered promisingly, determined to prove it was an aberration.
Now, with the New Zealand Warriors in his sights, he gets the chance to prove it.
“I wouldn’t say I have to defend them (Payten’s comments), I think it’s more as a player it’s a bit of criticism to something I need to work on,” Taumalolo said.
“The most frustrating part was not being able to take the field and work on those things, so for me to finally get back out there this weekend hopefully I can work on those things, improve myself and improve the team too.
“For me it’s the mental side coming back from injury, having that play in the back of my mind, so if I can get through that I’m pretty sure I’ll hold my own.”
In the past the Cowboys have struggled to get wins on the board in Taumalolo’s absence, such has been the focus centred around the Tongan wrecking ball.
However his side has defied statistics in recent times, registering three consecutive victories for only the second time since their miracle grand final run in 2017.
That in itself has restored a wealth of confidence in the young playing group, with underestimated recruit Lachlan Burr delivering a no nonsense attitude in the number 13 jumper — averaging 117m and 28 tackles in his two starting appearances.
Taumalolo still has to get through all training sessions to be a guaranteed lock to take the field against the Kiwis, however he said “both hands were intact” and he was raring to go.
While the Cowboys victories over the Tigers and Bulldogs were met with some criticism for almost letting what appeared straightforward wins slip, they seemed to turn a corner last week against Canberra.
Despite being well behind on the scoreboard late in the first half, they showed resilience not often seen in the past three campaigns and maintained faith in Payten’s game plan.
It means Taumalolo does not believe he has to do much more than the role expected of him, no longer required to carry a heavy burden and the lion's share of carries.
“It’s great to see, they’ve grown together as a team the last three weeks and to see them finally put it on the field is great to watch," Taumalolo said.
“For myself it’s all about adding to what the boys have been bringing the last few weeks.
“The way they’ve been playing I don’t think I need to do anything special, if I can come in and do my job to help everyone else out I’m sure we’ll come away with a good result.”