Friendship sidelined as Granville takes on mentor
HE SHOWED Jake Granville the ropes when the curly haired kid broke into the NRL, but that does not mean the Cowboys rake will be taking it easy on opposite number Andrew Mccullough.
The Broncos veteran was the first-choice hooker at Red Hill when Granville was brought into the club in 2013, and spent training sessions assisting the young utility as he broke his way into the NRL.
The pair have remained friends since Granville was lured to North Queensland in 2015, but that will be put to the side at 1300SMILES Stadium tonight.
Granville said Mccullough would be on the Cowboys’ radar tonight, with the crafty veteran a key cog in the Broncos’ attacking structures in the absence of a long-term halves combination.
“I have known Macca a while, since my time at the Broncos. He is going quite good, he leads that team really well and he will be one we have to watch on Thursday,” Granville said.
“He had been there for a fair few years by the time I got there. I was there for two or three years, he did help me with a little bit of my game.”
While it might be a battle of former master and apprentice, Granville said there would be no extra feeling in the tussle as the Rockhampton product just continues to play to his own strengths.
The Cowboys have a lot to turn around against the Broncos seven days on from their horror loss to Wests Tigers. Granville was left shattered on the field after the siren last week after making 48 tackles in an 80-minute performance.
“I am just thinking about my own performance and what I have to do to do my job for the team,” he said.
“I was a bit gutted week). That is not us.
“It is a bit disappointing to put in a result like that. We’re pretty keen to change that (tonight), but the Broncos are a (last tough side and they will be up for it as well.
“(It’s) just effort areas. It all relates to each other in attack and defence. If we can show that effort for the full 80 minutes, I think we do show it (and) you can see it in the games, we just aren’t doing it for long enough periods.
“We are all in it together. “We have addressed a few things this week and that is one of the main things to come out of it.”
The Broncos have the upper hand in recent derby clashes, winning three of the past four, but the Cowboys have won eight of the past 10 games between the sides at 1300SMILES Stadium.