HEAVYWEIGHT BATTLE Effort off the ball vital for Cowboys‘ challenge
as injuries and form have forced several changes to the backline on a week-toweek basis.
Green said given Holmes’ big-game experience on the flank that exposure could prove beneficial in shoring up the left side, particularly as rookie Connelly Lemuelu comes in for just his second NRL match.
“Given he’s coming back from an ankle injury he’s probably not moving as freely as he was before that injury, (so) for this game it was the best way we thought to go,” he said.
“He’s played some big games on the wing – State of Origin et cetera – so that’s the thinking behind it.”
Given the calibre of player Holmes is, the selection of Tabuai-fidow at fullback is a glowing endorsement of the 18-year-old’s abilities.
“We’ve moved a very good player in Val to make way for him, that’s not saying he’s a better player than Val by any stretch, but it is a big show of confidence in him as a player,” Green said. “He should take it that way, and hopefully he takes that confidence into the game.”
THE heartache of a tough loss is set to be the fuel for Reece Robson as the Cowboys prepare for yet another NRL heavyweight.
And they don’t get much heavier than the Sydney Roosters on Thursday.
North Queensland will face off with the back-to-back defending premiers at Queensland Country Bank Stadium reeling from an emphatic loss to the Parramatta Eels.
Consistency has plagued the Cowboys this season, while the Roosters embody how a team competes from the opening whistle to the final hooter.
While the Roosters will be missing the likes of Daniel Tupou and Boyd Cordner, Robson said who would assume those positions would be irrelevant if they did not turn up for the full 80 minutes.
A win will always be the ultimate prize, but the 22-yearold said a committed performance throughout the contest would pick the squad’s confidence levels back up — win, lose or draw.
“We haven’t been putting 80-minute performances together, I don’t think that’s as much fitness I think it’s we’ve put ourselves under the pump defensively,” Robson said.
“If we can complete a bit higher and kick into corners and play the game we want to play it’ll give us a good chance at the 70th minute to be in the game.
“I think effort is the biggest thing, we’ve lacked a lot of it in the last few weeks. But if we turn up and put in the effort for 80 minutes we can come away from something we’re happy with – win or lose.
“It’s going to be a massive challenge for us but I think we’re pretty hungry to get a win after a tough loss like that.”
Despite a series of disappointing results, Robson has steadily grown into his role as the Cowboys first choice No. 9.
The dynamic hooker has frequently showcased his slicing runs out of dummy-half and said he has felt progress in his own ability to compete across the full 80 minutes.
But attack has not been the major problem for North Queensland, it has been trust and commitment in defence.
Robson said it was the key effort areas off the ball the Cowboys needed to get back into their play — whether it was down to effort, attitude, or a bit of bad luck they needed to find answers for their mentality shifts and eradicate them to stand a chance on Thursday night.
“It’s tough, the effort is there in a lot of the game but I guess it’s hard to narrow it down. It could be an attitude thing, but I don’t think so – a lot of the boys are all trying and sometimes don’t get the rub of the green,” he said.
“I think it’s just parts of our defence, I think there’s a lot of good areas there too, it’s just lapses in effort I think where we can really try to get that out of our game.