Tongan torpedo ready to destroy
AT last, he is back.
Having been confined to the sidelines since his Round 1 appearance against the Penrith Panthers, Jason Taumalolo will return to the Cowboys fold with a point to prove.
It has been a luckless campaign for the North Queensland skipper, with a pair of hand fractures keeping him from showcasing his damaging capabilities.
But perhaps what has been most frustrating for the star lock has been the inability to make amends.
After Taumalolo last took the field, coach Todd Payten called out his marquee man’s defensive efforts off the ball, as Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary was gifted excessive time to execute his already threatening kicking game.
Rarely has the 27-year-old been identified for his weak spots, but it was criticism he shouldered promisingly, determined to prove it was a flash in the pan, rather than a significant issue with his game.
Now, with the New Zealand Warriors in his sights, Taumalolo gets the chance to prove it on Sunday.
“I wouldn’t say I have to defend them (Payten’s comments), I think it’s more as a player it’s a bit of criticism to something I need to work on,” the Tongan torpedo said.
“The most frustrating part was not being able to take the field and work on those things.
“So for me to finally get back out there this weekend, hopefully I can work on those things, improve myself and improve the team.
“For me it’s the mental side coming back from injury, having that play in the back of my mind. So if I can get through
that I’m pretty sure I’ll hold my own.”
In the past the Cowboys have struggled to win in Taumalolo’s absence.
However his side have defied statistics in recent times, registering three consecutive victories for only the second time since their miracle grand final run in 2017.
That in itself has restored confidence in the young group, with underestimated recruit Lachlan Burr delivering a nononsense attitude in the No.13 jumper – averaging 117m and 28 tackles in his two starting appearances.
Taumalolo still has to get through all training sessions to be guaranteed to take the field against the Warriors, however he said “both hands were intact” and he was raring to go.
While the Cowboys’ wins over the Tigers and Bulldogs were met with criticism for almost letting them slip away, they seemed to turn a corner last week against Canberra.
Despite being well behind on the scoreboard late in the first half, they showed resilience and maintained faith in Payten’s game plan.
It means Taumalolo does not believe he has to do much more than the role expected of him.
“They’ve grown together as a team the last three weeks and to see them finally put it on the field is great to watch,” he said.