Cowboys- Broncos rivalry takes toll on players

IT took just two rounds for the injury- plagued Cowboys to know they’d have to scrap and fight for everything this year.

Co- captain Johnathan Thurston rated the golden point thriller against Brisbane as one of the gutsiest wins of his career as Cowboys team- mates dropped around him.

The 21- 20 victory at Suncorp Stadium came at a huge cost. Matt Scott was ruled out for the year with a knee injury, fullback Lachlan Coote hurt his calf, winger Antonio Winterstein broke his arm and Jason Taumalolo was eventually suspended for a shoulder like flies charge. Their injury toll has only worsened since but a finals spot will be theirs if they beat the Broncos at Townsville in their final round clash on Thursday.

A loss would mean the seventh- placed Cowboys have to rely on other results to go their way as Manly and the Dragons bite at their heels. Even if they beat the Broncos to secure a top eight spot, the Cowboys would have to reverse a trend of having letdowns the following week after playing Brisbane to go deep into the finals campaign.

North Queensland has won their past three games against Brisbane, and is shooting for four straight for the first time in their history. But on all three occasions they have failed to back it up against lesser opposition.

Their round two clash was arguably the most brutal and intense NRL game this year and four of the past five Cowboys- Broncos clashes have gone to extra time.

The good news is if the Cowboys make the finals, they will have at least eight days to recover.

“It’s been our cause all year really, the last couple of weeks we’ve had troops going down left, right and centre and hopefully that’s not the case Thursday night,” Coote said yesterday.