Cowboys coaches’ brutal reflection on double defeat to the Broncos

Ben Jeffries didn’t hold back on the NRLW side after their crushing defeat, while Todd Payten explained his reasoning behind his new left-edge combination. Read what they had to say.

Cowboys coach Ben Jeffries didn’t hold back after his side’s disappointing 40-12 loss in the NRLW, calling out his players for not being up to standard in their inaugural home game.

North Queensland were outplayed for the majority of the game and Broncos centre Mele Hufanga had a field day with four tries, 15 tackle busts and five linebreaks from her 13 carries.

Jeffries admitted to being “absolutely disappointed” before teeing off on the poor performance.

“Not good enough to be at this level when you’re playing your inaugural home game,” Jeffries said.

“Inaugural double-header, the crowd turns up to watch you play and you dish that up.

“I didn’t think we were physical enough today either. There were some players who played really good in the first two rounds and then sort of fell off a cliff today so we’ll have to look at monitoring their workloads and things like that to see where they’re at for the next game.”

Makenzie Weale of the Cowboys is tackled during the NRLW match between North Queensland Cowboys and Brisbane Broncos. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

The Cowboys will be tested next Saturday when they take on the high-flying Tigers in Brisbane.

North Queensland have conceded two tries in the opening 10 minutes in their past two games, causing Jeffries to make it a focus this week at training.

“Next week is about rolling your sleeves up and we’re going to have to be better,” he said.

“We’ve identified our starts to games aren’t good enough and again (on Saturday) it put us on the back foot – there’s got to be a real emphasis on the start of the game.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom from the coach though.

Jeffries praised his barnstorming lock Makenzie Weale and fullback Fran Goldthorp for being the Cowboys’ best on ground.

“Probably (Goldthorp’s) best game for the year, obviously in a game like that where you lose by X amounts of points there will be some shining lights,” Jeffries said.

“I thought Makenzie Weale and Fran Goldthorp really did play well. But a couple of other players probably need to have a real good look at themselves as well.”

North Queensland Cowboys NRLW player Fran Goldthorp carries the ball during her team's trial match against the Gold Coast Titans. Picture: Alix Sweeney / Cowboys

In the NRL, the Cowboys’ new left-edge pairing of Murray Taulagi and Kyle Feldt looked dangerous in attack but were torn to pieces by Reece Walsh and his support cast of hard-running Brisbane forwards and deadly outside backs at the weekend.

Coach Todd Payten waved off any suggestion of a backline reshuffle, revealing Taulagi has long-term desires to be a centre that the coach would like to see through while Valentine Holmes is suspended.

“I don’t have any intention to change that left edge. We just need to get some more reps under our belt and we’ve got a bit of time between now and next game,” Payten said.

Kotoni Staggs looks to get past Murray Taulagi during round 23. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

“The decision we went with was based through Zac Laybutt was injured, and Brendan Elliot has done some time there in left centre but he’s been playing fullback in Q Cup.

“Murray Taulagi has expressed to me that he wants to be a centre long-term so I wanted to give him a real shot at it and I don’t have any intention at the moment to change what we’re doing.”

North Queensland must go back to the drawing board and work out exactly what sparked the team’s two-game skid after dropping out of the top eight.

The Cowboys have 12 days until their next game against the Sharks and Payten said the pain of Saturday’s 30-14 loss would stay with them until they take the field again.

“I hate going into a bye after a loss. It stays with you for a couple of weeks and I’d like to get back on the horse as quickly as possible, but it is what it is,” Payten said.

“We just let them out of their own end far too easily.”

Originally published as Cowboys coaches’ brutal reflection on double defeat to the Broncos