James Maloney is still working behind the scenes helping North Queensland playmaker Tom Dearden try to deliver the Cowboys an NRL premiership despite having been sacked by the club two weeks ago after being charged with drink-driving.
The Cowboys said it had been an “amicable split”, and Maloney – a premiership winner with the Roosters and Cronulla who plans to work as a coaching consultant – has since remained on speed-dial to several key Cowboys players, including Dearden.
Dearden confirmed he had spoken to Maloney before the win over the Knights, and had planned to lean on him again in the countdown to Friday night’s semi-final against Cronulla.
After starting with the Cowboys last summer, one of the first changes brought in by Maloney was to urge players to get earlier ball to back-rowers Heilum Luki and Jeremiah Nanai and back them to win one-on-one contests.
He also encouraged Dearden to unlock left centre Valentine Holmes with earlier passes, and make him realise he was not required to dig into the line on every play.
James Maloney was sacked by the Cowboys for drink-driving, but still helping Tom Dearden.Credit: North Queensland Cowboys
Maloney pointed out three passages of play in the second half against the Knights where Dearden showed his value, including a late try to seal the 28-16 victory.
“There’s no bad blood with the Cowboys,” Maloney told this masthead. “I didn’t leave on bad terms. They weren’t great terms, but I put myself in a position [and] they made a decision to let me go, and I respect that.
“I still hope they go on to win the comp. I’ve got a lot of time for Tommy. He’s so coachable and anything you tell him, he puts into practice the very next session. For most players, it takes a long time to break habits. But not with Tommy.”
Running through the elimination-final highlights with this masthead during the week, Maloney praised Dearden for using his blistering pace in the 52nd minute, which led to a Jordan McLean try.
“That was a perfect example of Tommy knowing when to take on the line,” Maloney said. “He ran at Blayke Brailey, he forced Brailey to stop and no longer shift out, and that made the rest of the Newcastle defensive line shift in, including Daniel Saifiti, who felt threatened and had to over-compensate.
“From there, ‘Mud’ [Dearden] passed to Scott Drinkwater, he skipped outside another defender before McLean ran through a hole.
“But It all started with Tom. He ran at the perfect spot, not directly at Brailey, and stopped the Newcastle defensive line [by doing so].”
Dearden’s fitness was on full display in the 73rd minute when Reece Robson made a break downfield, and the five-eighth was the only Cowboy pushing up in support. The next play he jumped into dummy-half threw a quick pass for Jake Clifford to put through a kick that led to a Reuben Cotter try.
And Maloney applauded Dearden for realising Saifiti, a front-rower, was defending where a back-rower should have been in the 78th minute, and backing his speed.
“That was just great awareness, which you need as a half, but he was still doing it so late in the game,” Maloney said.
Dearden has improved the longer the year has gone. “Jimmy simplifies our roles and what we need to do to break down defences,” he said of his sessions with Maloney. “If you know Jimmy Maloney, he’s a really good talker, and he does a great job of explaining the game of rugby league.
“He taught us during the pre-season, and even during the season, different ways to get the most out of our attacking weapons.”
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