Hess hopes to give Matty a fitting retirement gift
THE finals might be out of their reach but the Cowboys remain motivated heading into the final month of football.
Makeshift centre Coen Hess, who spent his 23rd birthday training yesterday, said the club would be aiming to send club legend Matt Scott out on the right note.
The Cowboys have struggled to find their feet over the past month, losing fourstraight for the second time this season, but Hess hopes they can turn it around.
He will start at left centre for this weekend’s clash with the Knights. It will be the fourth-straight game with a third different winger outside him in Jordan Kahu.
While he initially struggled to acclimatise to the role, Hess pulled out his best performance in a losing effort against the Broncos last weekend.
He has helped the side get on the front foot early in their sets coming out of their own end, something they have struggled to do this season.
“I am enjoying it, and I am playing a lot better than I was at the start of the year,” he said.
“For me it is about getting some good strong carries and playing out in the centres allows that.
“I am finding it a lot more comfortable week to week, it is about getting yourself into a good position.”
The 13th-placed Cowboys have fallen out of finals contention sitting five points outside the top eight.
They are one game behind the Knights and are in with a chance of ruining Newcastle’s finals hopes.
“They are a quality team, but they are a bit like us with struggling for form,” he said.
“We’re really looking forward to the battle. We are trying to put together a few decent results for big Matty Scott before he retires. That is our main motivation.”
Hess will also get a chance to face off against former under-20s teammate Kalyn Ponga for the first time this season, and he warned the Cowboys would need to be on their game defensively to shut down the fleet-footed fullback.