Cowboys coach Todd Payten lays out recipe for success in NRL showdown with New Zealand Warriors
Cowboys coach Todd Payten has revealed how he hopes to break apart New Zealand’s brick wall defence when his side takes on the Warriors during Magic Round in Brisbane. Read what he had to say.
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Cowboys coach Todd Payten has revealed how he hopes to break apart New Zealand’s brick wall defence when his side takes on the Warriors on Saturday evening in Brisbane.
North Queensland’s charge into the NRL’s top six has been built on outstanding defence, conceding 20 points or less in four straight victories to shake off the club’s sluggish start to the season.
It’s a clear recipe for success, and one that has delivered a near-perfect strike rate for the Cowboys in recent years: the team has won 21 of their last 22 games when they manage to keep teams to 20 or fewer points.
But Payten believes his team’s improvements with the ball in hand have been the catalyst that has sparked North Queensland’s resurgence.
“We’re improving. I think our attack has certainly helped our defence. We’ve been pretty good with the ball, we haven’t turned the ball over too often in poor parts of the field,” he said.
“We’re tackling far better and we’re heavier on the ground. I think we’re working together as units out on the edge.
“So we need to improve again, we’re playing a really good team and they don’t give you a lot of opportunities with the way they control the ball and where they turn it over.”
Payten said the key to outscoring the Warriors was to play with speed and intent.
“We’ve got to play fast. It starts by running hard and fighting on the ground,” he said.
“We’ve got some points of attack, or different targets in parts of our game plan that we want to execute, and need to execute, and like I said we need to do it at speed.”
Since the Cowboys coach left the Warriors – following 14 games as interim head coach in 2020 – he has beaten the club just twice in seven attempts.
Payten said morale was high within the group after feeling the pressure through the opening month of the season.
“Winning makes a difference in life. The feeling is good here at the moment; it’s far better than the first three weeks,” Payten said.
“It’s my job to make sure that we contain that feeling and don’t get too far ahead of ourselves.”
The Cowboys play the Warriors in Brisbane on Saturday, May 3. Kick-off is at 5.30pm.
‘GO GET HIM’: WHY COWBOYS GUN VAILEA HAS A TARGET ON HIS BACK
May 1
Is there anything more magical than two best mates going toe-to-toe on one of rugby league’s biggest stages?
That’s exactly what NRL fans can strap in for on Saturday night when two of Tonga’s brightest prospects face off when North Queensland takes on the high-flying Warriors in a Magic Round showdown at Suncorp.
Cowboys young gun Viliami Vailea is ready to unleash on his former teammates and he has one particular rising rookie locked in his sights.
Vailea, 22, comes up against his old club for just the second time since moving across the Tasman and he said he would not hold back – especially against 19-year-old backrower Leka Halasima.
“Leka, the young fella, we always played (NSW) Cup and he was always my roommate back in New Zealand,” Vailea said.
“I always picked him up every day to go to training and he was always mocking me and that.
“I think he’s playing on the right side – but he said he’s trying to come to my side. It’s going to be a lot of fun there.”
The Cowboys cannonball proved last year that he is more than just a big body, clocking the club’s fastest top speed of the 2024 season with a blistering 35.2km/h dash.
Vailea said he would have a target on his back on Saturday with his ex-teammates vowing to come for him during the game.
“They’re a good team, it’s always a tough game against them – against my old team,” Vailea said.
“The message from the Warriors, they said to ‘go get him’. That they’re always going to come and get me in the game, but it’s always good to play against the old team.
“I always put the team first and do my best on the field to help our team win, then I can call the (Warriors) boys friends after the game.”
The right centre has played every game for the Cowboys this season and has reliably contributed powerful runs and bone-crunching defence.
Vailea credited his extra work away from training for his uptick in form.
“I work hard outside the field, not what I do at training but after,” he said.
“I look after my eating, sleeping and that. I’ve got a baby now but I do have to look after my sleep, look after my body and get ready for the big game.”
The Cowboys play the Warriors in Brisbane on Saturday, May 3. Kick-off is at 5.30pm.
HOW THE COWBOYS MADE ROBERT DERBY’S SPECTACULAR HAT TRICK POSSIBLE
Jami Roberts, April 29
It was a rocky start to Saturday’s night’s game but the nerves around Queensland Country Bank Stadium didn’t last long with the Cowboys re-emerging from halftime with a renewed fire, which saw one of their rising stars cross the tryline for an epic hat trick.
With only one appearance in the NRL prior to the start of the 2025 season, Papua New Guinea-born Robert Derby said he was feeling more confident in holding his spot on the right edge after an impressive performance on the weekend.
“I’m still trying to find my feet and just build more confidence,” he said.
“With each week I’ve got something new to work on and the coaches just say to keep building small things at a time.
“Hopefully I can still keep my spot and keep playing well and see what the coaches reckon at the end of each week.”
The slow starting Cowboys were staring down a tight score after heading into the sheds at halftime with a small lead of 18-12 but that was short lasting after player after player found their way to the try line.
Derby was able to secure himself three tries including in the 79th minute, taking the final score to a massive 50 to 18.
The humble winger however said his success is off the back of his teammates performances.
“I think it was made easy because of the boys inside me, I know Tommy Dearden had five try assists on the weekend so he had quite an impressive performance,” Derby said.
“I think Cliffo (Jake Clifford) and Drinky (Scott Drinkwater) were just responding and just working together as well as Robbo (Reece Robson).
“I guess it made it easier for us boys on the outside.”
Derby will mark another milestone in his young career by taking the field for his first Magic Round in Brisbane for their Saturday night game against the New Zealand Warriors.
However the 23-year-old said even with the packed out crowd and intense atmosphere which comes with Magic Round, he wasn’t feeling any additional pressure.
“It’ll be a new experience,” he said.
“Last year I went down with the boys, there’s always something special that happens on the field each game, more than usual … so hopefully something like that happens again this week.
“I think I can gather a bit more confidence from the weekend’s game to go into this game.”
The Cowboys will take on the Warriors on Saturday night at 5:30pm at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.
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