New North Queensland coach Paul Green helps Cowboys to first silverware with defensive steel

PAUL Green has instilled the defensive steel needed to win titles and that allowed the Cowboys to lift the Nines trophy.

Coach Paul Green celebrates with Cowboys players after their Nines win.

NEW Cowboys coach Paul Green has instilled the defensive mentality needed to win premierships and that lifted North Queensland to its first title on Sunday with their crowning as inaugural NRL Nines champions.

On a historic day for the club, the Cowboys clinched the first piece of silverware in their 19-year history by overcoming the Broncos 16-7 in an all-Queensland final at Eden Park.News_Rich_Media: The top tries from Day 2 of the Auckland Nines.

In the process, rookie NRL coach Green stamped himself as the man with the Midas touch after securing the Cowboys’ first trophy just three months into his tenure in Townsville.

Green won back-to-back premierships with Intrust Super Cup side Wynnum Manly, backed it up with an NRL trophy last year while assistant at the Sydney Roosters, and now the former Maroons halfback is clearly cultivating a winning culture in North Queensland.

Still, the Cowboys needed a slice of luck.

They lost two of their three pool games and had to rely on Canberra upsetting Manly to sneak into the quarter-finals.

But Green’s troops revelled in the knockout stage, beating Penrith (22-12), hot favourites the Warriors (8-0) and the Broncos to walk away with a $370,000 winner’s cheque in the inaugural Nines.News_Rich_Media: We've seen some exceptional play in the Auckland Nine's but there have also been plenty of stuff-ups. Here's some of the best.

While the NRL premiership is an entirely different proposition, Cowboys insiders say Green has instilled the type of defensive hunger and ethos that wins titles.

“All we’ve tried to do is get some credibility in the competition’ and this just adds to it,” long-serving Cowboys official Peter Parr said.

“It’s a great reward for a good off-season by a number of players ... we’re just stoked.News_Rich_Media: NRL Chief Executive Dave Smith has hailed the first day of the Auckland Nines as a success and hopes the carrot of a $375,000 payday for the winning side will prove an incentive for more exciting rugby league on the second and final day of the tournament.

“Greeny himself would admit the players deserve a lot of credit, but he has brought a real work ethic around defence and a real clarity around how he wants a team to defend.

“We kept the Raiders to zero, the Warriors to zero and the Broncos scored one try in the final.

“To have that record in the Nines is showing where we are going defensively.

“If we get our defence right, we will be a hard team to beat because we have plenty of points in us.”

The Cowboys were awful in their opening 17-8 loss of the tournament to Manly.

But as the event unfolded, North Queensland found their groove, highlighted by a stunning 8-0 shutout of the Warriors in the semi-final.

The younger contingent were vital contributors. News_Rich_Media: Rugby league great Greg Alexander says the class of Brad Fittler and Steve Menzies shone through in their comebacks at the NRL Auckland Nines.

Winger Kyle Feldt was outstanding, scoring five tries overall. Rookie fullback Zac Santo was a handful, Javid Bowen was strong out wide and Curtis Rona celebrated a double in the final.

Antonio Winterstein drew first blood in the finals, scoring in the fifth minute. And while Brisbane halfback Ben Hunt narrowed the deficit to 10-7 with two minutes to play, Kane Linnett released Rona 90 seconds from time to bury the Broncos.

“We are pretty excited about it, they obviously realise what they’ve done,” Green said.

“It’s been a wonderful weekend, there was a lot of guts in the way we played, particularly the last two games, and the boys are over the moon.

“We didn’t play our best in that first game against Manly, but I thought we got better as the tournament went on, I always thought we’d be a chance of playing well.

“The type of players I brought with us I thought we suited the Nines game. Canberra did us a massive favour by beating Manly, we got our opportunity and took it.”