Fireworks loom in back five battle
A Knights rival has rated the Cowboys’ back five as some of the best ball-carriers in the NRL, and new father Scott Drinkwater has backed his teammates to prove it on Saturday night.
Last week Drinkwater became a father for the first time when he welcomed Lylah into the world, but his focus is already on returning the Cowboys to the winner’s circle.
“It was a little bit surreal at first, life isn’t about me anymore and doing my own thing so a bit of a change there but I’m loving it,” he said.
Newcastle enforcer Jacob Saifiti returns from a four-game suspension this week and has identified the Cowboys’ outside backs as the team’s greatest attacking weapon.
“I can’t remember winning up there, so they’re always a good team at home and being Anzac Day weekend they’ll be getting the crowd into it,” Saifiti said.
“They’re always dangerous up there and their back five are some of the best ball-carriers in the comp. I believe their back five are the best in the comp, besides our back five, at getting out of trouble.”
Drinkwater agreed but said he would be just as wary of the Newcastle backs.
“You’ve got big Muzz (Taulagi) coming off the back fence, Val (Holmes) is so explosive, Feldty can get a really quick play-the-ball and Pet has great footwork, so we have a lot of good outside backs in our team and it definitely is a strong point for us,” Drinkwater said.
“With some of the big forwards we have out, we’re relying on those guys to maybe take more carries and quicken up the play-the-ball speed for myself and Robbo and Tommy to play off the back of it.
“But their (Newcastle’s) back five, it’s pretty handy too.
“Lachie Miller is killing it and Greg Marzhew probably has the most tackle-breaks in the comp and he’s only played a handful of games.”