Todd Payten issues North Queensland Cowboys challenge ahead of battle with Canberra Raiders
Todd Payten has challenged his players to take the game to the Raiders on Saturday when one of the NRL’s toughest forward packs rolls into Townsville. Read the latest news from Cowboys HQ.
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Todd Payten has challenged his players to take the game to the Raiders on Saturday when one of the NRL’s toughest forward packs rolls into Townsville.
Canberra has arguably the strongest pack in the competition, spearheaded by Kiwis star and raiders captain Joseph Tapine, former Maroons stalwart Josh Papalii and in-form firebrand Corey Horsburgh.
The ‘green machine’ has been in North Queensland all week acclimatising to the humid tail-end of the wet season, and Payten said he expected them to rampage through the middle of the park.
“I think it’s going to be led by their two front rowers, (Joseph) Tapine and (Josh) Papalii are really strong. Corey Horsburgh (too), so they’re coming through the middle of the field,” Payten said.
“They’ve got some athletic and quick backs as well, so we know where they’re coming. They’ve proved that in the first couple of wins that they had against the Warriors and the Broncos, and we expect no different tomorrow.
“I don’t think that players need motivation whether they’ve won or lost from week to week.
“Knowing ‘Sticky’ (Ricky Stuart), he’ll have them fired up, and he’s probably been into them a little bit early in the week.”
The Raiders were thumped 40-12 by the Sea Eagles in round 3 after beginning their 2025 campaign with two impressive wins.
The Cowboys are in an even more desperate position after losing all three of their games so far this year.
Payten called on rising Kiwis prop Griffin Neame to rise to the occasion when he takes on his countryman Tapine.
“It’s a great opportunity for him and a great opportunity for the club,” Payten said.
“Griff, he was disappointed after the weekend. He’s at a point in his career where he’s got 60 games under his belt now, he’s an international player, and he wants to be consistent.
“He’s coming up against a big, physical pack, and it’s a good place for him to build it.”
Cowboys fullback Scott Drinkwater welcomed his second child into the world this week and Payten said he’d brought his positivity to the training paddock.
“He’s been great. He came in late on the Wednesday, missed the morning previews and caught up once he got in. It’s always an exciting time as a as a person, as a player,” Payten said.
“The family is still in hospital, so I think they’re coming home (Saturday) night, which is probably good for his preparation. He’s bouncing around as always and always upbeat.
“It’s been a challenging little period for us. My job is to make sure that we’re calm and connected and confident.
“I’ve spent more time out of the office this week than any other week, just being down on the ground and making sure I’m checking in with each individual.
“I’ve got to say that they’ve kept me calm, coming into work at different times, so it’s been good.”
The Cowboys play the Raiders on Saturday afternoon, kick-off is at 4.30pm AEST.
SLATER REVEALS THE QLD NRL SIDE IN THE FRAME TO SIGN DCE
Queensland coach Billy Slater says North Queensland are right in the frame to secure the signature of wantaway Manly superstar Daly Cherry-Evans, despite the protests of Cowboys coach Todd Payten.
Cherry-Evans was a Mackay Brothers junior while he attended St Patrick’s College as a teenager, before he was snapped up by Manly to play in the under-20s National Youth Competition.
“To be honest I don’t think we know all the details so it’s really hard to give you an opinion on what’s happening without knowing and understanding everything, but yeah it is sad because you know he’s spent 15 years of his life and his whole football career at Manly,” Slater told 104.5 Triple M Breakfast with Marto, Margaux and Dan.
“He’s a premiership player there and he’s playing extremely well so it does seem a little bit strange that he’s not going to be there next year.
“You know, the Cowboys is another option. He spent a lot of his growing up in Mackay, which is Cowboys country, they’re there in the market, I would say, for a halfback.”
But Payten hosed down suggestions he would make a play at the 36-year-old halfback, saying that it would require Cherry-Evans to take a considerable salary reduction.
“I have always admired the way he plays his football,” Payten said.
“But we’re invested with what we’ve got here and if he wants to come, it’ll be for a pay cut, and I don’t know whether that’s going to happen.”
Cowboys’ not-so-secret plan to exploit Canberra’s weakness
Maroons flyer Murray Taulagi has revealed North Queensland’s not-so-secret plan to exploit the Raiders’ biggest weakness as the Cowboys look to shake off a sluggish start to the season.
Canberra’s back three were exposed on Sunday night by a Sea Eagles air raid that allowed Manly to take a 40-0 lead early in the second half before taking the foot of the gas.
Raiders fullback Kaeo Weekes was targeted with bombs, leading to the 182cm Asquith Magpies junior making three handling errors.
Two errors from Savelio Tamale and one from Xavier Savage meant the Raiders back three coughed the ball up on six occasions.
It’s an area of the game that the Cowboys will look to exploit on Saturday afternoon with the possibility of rain and storms dampening proceedings in North Queensland.
“One hundred per cent we’ve been looking into that,” Taulagi said.
“We’re going to try and do our best to put a lot of pressure on their young fullback. Obviously last week he had a couple errors there.
“But again, it’s not just him, we’ve got to focus and we’ve got to worry about the whole team as well.”
The Cowboys named an unchanged side for the clash, with six-foot-four Rob Derby providing some great height on the right wing.
Derby said he would be looking to latch onto some Jake Clifford bombs, or at least make a contest out of them.
“Especially coming in from last week where we just kept peppering the back three, I think we’ll do the same job again this week,” Derby said.
“And yeah, just keep attacking the footy, because the hungrier we are in that chase for kicks, I guess the possession sways a lot more.”
Taulagi joined an elite club of players last week when he crossed for his 50th try in the NRL with a diving effort in Brisbane.
The Samoan representative said it was an honour to have a long enough first grade career to reach the milestone.
“I didn’t even know it was my 50th but yeah, it’s massive. Obviously not a lot of people score 50 tries,” Taulagi said.
“So I’m very honoured to score it. It’s very easy having people inside me, just having to put the ball down – when you’ve got blokes like Tommy Dearden out there setting you up it’s pretty easy.”
In exciting club news, the Cowboys and local junior Tom Chester agreed to a one-year extension that will keep the energetic outside back in North Queensland until at least the end of the 2026 season.
The Cowboys play Canberra on Saturday at Queensland Country bank Stadium. Kick-off is at 4.30pm AEST.
MATE V MATE: A COWBOYS GRUDGE MATCH 15 YEARS IN THE MAKING
March 26
Cowboys winger Rob Derby has opened up on his emotional return to the NRL as he prepares to play against one of his best childhood mates for the first time on Saturday.
Derby had to wait a whopping 665 days between drinks after making his first grade debut in mid-2023, biding his time in the Queensland Cup where he has been one of the Northern Pride’s most reliable players for the past two seasons.
He said he was almost overcome with emotion running out in front of a roaring Brisbane crowd for his NRL comeback.
“It’s been a challenge. I got a bit emotional going onto the field and seeing my family afterwards, and leading up to the game the nerves kicked in,” Derby said.
“It was a pretty good, pretty crazy occasion. Especially (because) it was like 40,000 people in Suncorp, so I was a bit nervous.
“But the lungs felt great after, and the body is a bit sore, but recovered and ready to go again this week.”
While they’re expected to line up on opposite sides of the field, Saturday’s afternoon game against Canberra will be the first time Derby has faced one of his best mates, Cairns junior Xavier Savage.
Derby and Savage have been close friends since the pair went to primary school together, rising through the representative ranks in the same squads.
The Raiders rocket has been part of Canberra’s system since he was a teenage sprint king, and he recently signed an extension to remain in the nation’s capital until at least the end of the 2027 season.
Derby said he’d be on the lookout for Canberra’s speed machine if he happens to make a linebreak on Saturday.
“I know he’ll already be tracking across the field, he’s that fast. I’m excited to play against him, it’ll be funny going into tackles and that if I can get on that side,” Derby said.
“It’s exciting, because we both played in the same team since we were young. It’s my first time versing him when he’s wearing different colours.”
Derby revealed the sound advice Cowboys coach Todd Payten imparted on him after his comeback game.
“He spoke to me briefly before training on Monday, and he just said, you’ve taken all that time and you’re finally in your spot that you wanted,” Derby said.
“He just said to not get complacent, and he just wants me to keep playing consistent footy. I guess we’ll see where that goes for the rest of the year.”
The Cowboys host the Canberra Raiders on Saturday, March 29. Kick-off is at 4.30pm AEST.
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Originally published as Todd Payten issues North Queensland Cowboys challenge ahead of battle with Canberra Raiders
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