Coaching clipboard: North Queensland Cowboys coach Todd Payten
North Queensland Cowboys coach Todd Payten reveals who has impressed in the pre-season and how the club is building for a bright 2022.
NRL
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It’s been four years without much to celebrate in Queensland’s north as the Cowboys continue to find the same winning form which took them through to the 2015 and 2017 NRL grand finals.
North Queensland has been through a changing of the guard per se, with club greats Johnathan Thurston, Matt Scott and Michael Morgan all retiring in the past few years leaving behind a relatively inexperienced group.
But for all their experience lost, they’ve unearthed some future stars in Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Scott Drinkwater and Reuben Cotter.
Head coach Todd Payten opens up about his plans for the 2022 season and how he’s quietly optimistic about the growth of his young playing group.
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Q: Now with pre-season officially underway, has anyone in particular impressed you straight out of the blocks?
A: The guys with the NRL experience have led from the front. When we had 25 guys in at the start, all with less experience, we had guys like Mitch Dunn and Reuben Cotter in particular have been leading from the front. Tommy Dearden is another one. Jeremiah Nanai has been very impressive as well. Those guys have really set the tone for the rest of the squad.
Q: You must be pretty pleased in those guys for stepping up?
A: I am. Everyone in our Top 30 last year got a taste of first grade so that’s a positive for us moving into this year. We’ve got some new faces that haven’t had a taste of a professional environment and have come through a pathways system. Those guys are doing a good job too. It’s been a very enjoyable start to the pre-season.
Q: You had your first pre-season in Townsville this time last year, but are you planning on changing anything this time around?
A: Last year, we put a big emphasis on our style of play. This year, we’re changing tack a little and putting more pressure on us physically and mentally every day. That’s our challenge as coaches. There are some little tactics that we can do that and some real obvious ones about how we can push them physically and mentally as well. We need to get mentally stronger as the pre-season goes by and be ready for Round One.
Q: Is that change in mindset and tactic brought on because of the 2021 season?
A: Yeah a few lessons from last year but with the youth of our squad, we don’t have a lot of experience. We’ve got a couple of guys who are 200 games. We’ve got a couple more around 150. Coen Hess is on around 120 and then it drops off pretty quick after him. Experience is knowledge and we don’t have a lot of senior guys at the club. We’re banking on our youth and we’ve just got to equip them as quick as we can.
Q: Is that why you’ve brought in club greats Johnathan Thurston and Matt Scott in coaching and mentoring capacity?
A: Yep. “Thumper” (Scott) will be facilitating our leadership program. He’ll deal with our leadership group and he’ll have his fingerprints all through that, while liaising with me and the other coaches. “Johnno” (Thurston) is coming in and doing some coaching, focusing on our halves. Both of those guys are just great to have around the club. They’re very passionate about our club. They were both co-captains here for a number of years and enjoyed some of the success, so they know what it takes to get things done from a day-to-day point of view and particularly under pressure on the weekend. It’s great to have them around.
Q: Just touching on the halves there, do you have any early ideas of who your No. 6 and No. 7 will be?
A: All our guys are competing for spots. We’ve brought Chad Townsend in to be our main voice and director out on the pitch, so unless he’s not fit come Round One, I reckon he’s going to be there. Who plays alongside him is up in the air at the moment. It’s about competing every day for a spot. Tommy (Dearden) finished the year really well for us last year and Drinky (Scott Drinkwater) had some really good points throughout the year. Our mindset at the moment is that those boys will fight it out for a spot.
Q: Speaking of Chad, you’ve brought in a couple of new recruits, Jamayne Taunoa-Brown and Peta Hiku as well. What are your plans with them? Are they there for as much of their off-field experience as on-field?
A: Peta is quite experienced and been in a couple of good systems, played in some big games and played for his country. He’s also got the flexibility to play in a number of positions – wing, centre, five-eighth and fullback. He understands the game too so he will teach our younger guys. I’m really excited about the type of football he can help us play. Jamayne is a quieter kid, with a big body and a fair motor and quite skilful. We’re going to encourage him to use the ball more. He’s adjusting to the heat up here.
Q: You’ve also brought in a couple of Fijian Rugby Seven’s players on a train-and-replacement contract. Will you look to play them in 2022?
A: First of all, they’ve got to prove to us that they’re up to it. They’re great athletes and very skilful. Taniela Sadrugu is a bit more physical and robust. He’s potentially an edge backrower or a middle forward. Iosefo Masikau is an out-and-out winger. They’re rugby seven’s players so we’re kind of starting at ground zero in terms of their knowledge around the game. What we’ve seen in the past few days, is that they’ve been able to pick it up pretty quick. There’s a lot of things to happen but they’ve got quite a bit of potential.
Q: Athletically and physically alone, have you been impressed by them?
A: Yeah very impressed. The other thing is, they’re just enjoying it. They’re always doing it with a smile on their face. They’re pretty vocal and will always ask questions.
Q: One player who does always seem to have a smile on his face is Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow. We saw him reach new heights in 2021. Can he be better again in 2022?
A: Absolutely he can. We worked out throughout the course of the season that fullback is his best position and for us as a team. He grew up playing fullback as a kid so it’s more a natural thing for him. He only got limited games at the back end of the season. We had a plan to play him the last six, seven games but he had that appendix problem. He’s another kid we’re only scratching the surface of. We just need him to stay on the park. He’s such an athlete and he’s starting to realise how influential he can be, not just on the park but in and around the facility and the community. He’s starting to mature a bit.
Q: Like you mentioned, fullback seems to be his best spot. Are you considering him to be your No. 1 come Round 1?
A: Yep, I am. What he did last year just highlights the talent he has, and the football awareness he has. He never really played centre, and we put him in there in the pre-season. He played eight games and then played Origin. He’s got a fair skillset about him and he can anticipate things in the game.
Q: What about Jason Taumalolo? We saw him play a couple of different positions last year. Where will you look to use him?
A: Jase will play through the middle. I can’t see him play anywhere else unless we have a catastrophe through injury and stuff. Jase had a really interrupted season. He had to start again four times. He broke his hand on three occasions and a two-week suspension on the other. All players will play better with a bit of continuity in their footy. Fingers crossed, Jase will get that he will rediscover the form that we all know he can play.
Q: I know the club has come out in the last few days around vaccination rates but as coach, has it just been business as usual?
A: Yeah it has. We’re fortunate that this is our own facility so the only real change for our players is that we ask them to wear a mask and shower in a different area. Other than that, we’re training out on the park. Nothing has changed from a day-to-day point of view so we’re pretty fortunate in that regard.
Q: You mentioned at the start about the inexperience in the group. How much faith do you have in these younger fellas such as Griffin Neame and Heilum Luki.
A: I’m really excited about those two in particular. Jeremiah Nanai is 18, the other two kids are 19 and 20. I believe they’re long-term players at our club over seven, eight, nine years – if not more. That’s how high an opinion I have of them. I mentioned it before, we just need to educate them quickly. They’ve got a heap of ability and they have to have the right mindset and turn up every day, wanting to get better and work hard.
Q: The last few years haven’t been the best for the Cowboys, finishing outside the top eight. What are your goals and expectations for 2022?
A: I’m not going make bold statements but I know we’re going to improve. We’ve got a heap of growth in us. We’ve got a bit better direction and leadership brought into the club. Our games got a taste last year and will be better through natural progression plus some good coaching. I’m really optimistic about what will happen moving forward.
Originally published as Coaching clipboard: North Queensland Cowboys coach Todd Payten
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