HITS AND MISSES

FOR a fourth-straight season the Cowboys have been forced to watch the finals from the comfort of their own living rooms, after another bottom-eight finish. But what happened to a season that promised so much before a ball was even kicked on the training paddock?

It was meant to be a year of change for the Cowboys.

A new coach in Todd Payten (pictured right) brought a fresh approach to the club, the ribbon was cut on their hi-tech high performance centre and champion forward Jason Taumalolo was recognised with the co-captaincy alongside Michael Morgan.

It all pointed to success, but instead the Cowboys served up much of the same and sunk to the club’s worst finish in more than a decade, only narrowly avoiding the wooden spoon. It was a disastrous 2021 campaign that included the shock retirement of Morgan to a chronic shoulder injury while several players were shown the door mid-season including international representatives Esan Marsters and Josh Mcguire and Tully’s favourite son Jake Clifford. On field was not much better with the Cowboys only scoring one win over a top eight side all season, a 38-20 victory over the Knights in Round 11. Newcastle returned the favour later in the year with a 38-0 drubbing as Clifford had the last laugh over his former teammates.

The Townsville Bulletin sports reporters Nick Wright and Matthew Elkerton team up to provide a close up view of the season as it crumbled, and where it went right, and more importantly, where it went wrong