North Queensland coach Paul Green reveals extensive injuries suffered by Cowboys during finals run
NORTH Queensland coach Paul Green has revealed just how battered and bruised the Cowboys were through their remarkable run to the NRL grand final.
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NORTH Queensland coach Paul Green has revealed just how battered and bruised the courageous Cowboys were throughout their remarkable run to the NRL grand final.
The Cowboys fell short of a premiership fairytale on Sunday night, losing the title decider 34-6 to the dominant Melbourne Storm at ANZ Stadium.
The Storm were too strong for the Cowboys, who snuck into the finals in eighth position and had to make four trips to Sydney in as many weeks on the back of a gruelling season.
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The Cowboys were without co-captains Matt Scott (knee) and Johnathan Thurston (shoulder) for most of the year, prompting many pundits to write them off as premiership contenders.
And their task was made even tougher by a number of key players carrying painful injuries throughout their finals campaign.
Bench forward John Asiata will undergo surgery on a broken hand, an injury he carried through every finals game, in Townsville on Wednesday.
Starting prop Scott Bolton received painkilling injections for much of the season to play with a sternum injury while winger Kyle Feldt secretly carried a torn groin into the grand final.
Five-eighth Te Maire Martin was supposed to miss six weeks with a knee injury but only sat out one match.
Forward Coen Hess (knee), stand-in skipper Gavin Cooper (calf), centre Justin O’Neill (elbow) and winger Antonio Winterstein (hamstring) were far from full fitness but continued to play.
“Some of the things that the guys have played through with, particularly around injury, has been nothing short of remarkable,” Green said.
“There were four guys that came back in that Tigers game (round 25) that probably shouldn’t have come back. If I single anyone out it probably doesn’t do the whole squad justice.
“John Asiata, broken hand. Kyle Feldt tore his groin last week. Te Maire Martin had a grade two medial and should have been out for four-six weeks and missed one game. Coops with his calf.
“Scott Bolton has been outstanding all year and playing busted. He’s scared of needles too, which is surprising for a pig-hunting fisherman. He has to get needled every week before the game.
“There has been so many stories like that. That’s what I’m really proud of. No one made them do that. I didn’t make them play. They wanted to.”
Unfortunately for the Cowboys they saved their worst performance of the finals for the premiership decider.
They lost Shaun Fensom, a crucial defensive forward, to a sickening broken leg after just three minutes and struggled from there.
Fensom is facing a lengthy recovery after breaking his tibia and fibula but is expected to be back on deck next season.
Cooper, deputising as captain in the absence of Thurston and Scott, said the Cowboys of 2017 had set a new standard for the club.
“There are plenty more people that Greeny didn’t mention that have played through some things,” he said
“Respect is what everyone’s got for each other at the club. They are very selfless with what they’ve done for the team and each other. It shows we care about each other.
“People keep talking about clubs having a tight-knit group and good culture, but what we’ve built over the past four-five years, I can’t be more proud of the group and part of it.
“That’s how everyone sees each other. They wouldn’t go out there if they didn’t think they could do a job. They don’t want to let the boys down and that’s pretty special in a football team.”
Courageous Cowboys
Lachlan Coote (calf)
Kyle Feldt (groin)
Justin O’Neill (elbow)
Antonio Winterstein (hamstring/ribs)
Te Maire Martin (knee)
Scott Bolton (sternum)
Gavin Cooper (calf)
John Asiata (broken hand)
Coen Hess (knee)
*Shaun Fensom suffered a badly broken leg during the grand final
Originally published as North Queensland coach Paul Green reveals extensive injuries suffered by Cowboys during finals run
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