Dally M Coach of the Year 2023: Cowboys Todd Payten rocketing into contention for honour
The ‘Sheriff’ has inspired a daring surge up the table, leading key players to declare the coach ‘the best in rugby league’
Central Queensland
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Todd Payten is rocketing into contention to become the second coach in NRL history to win back-to-back Dally M awards after resuscitating the Cowboys’ season once again.
No coach has won the award in consecutive seasons since Craig Bellamy became the first to do so in 2006-07, but Payten’s mid-season revival in North Queensland has earned the former premiership-winning prop a chance to match that feat.
The Cowboys hit rock bottom in Round 11, dropping to 16th on the ladder after the side was torn apart by the Tigers 66-18.
Since then the ‘Sheriff’ has inspired a daring surge up the table, taking top eight scalps including Melbourne, Penrith and South Sydney, before delivering a statement 74-0 win over Wests in a revenge game for the ages to sit one game outside the top eight.
Only Parramatta (five) owns a better winning streak than the Cowboys (four) and prop Coen Hess insists it is no coincidence.
“At the moment he is the best coach in rugby league for sure,” Hess declared.
“We were struggling, there’s no way to sugar-coat it - we were down the bottom of the ladder and (now) we’re back to where we were last year.
“There’s a long way to go yet but he’s turned us around quick. He’s the sailor who is steering us as a ship.”
Five-eighth Tom Dearden, who grew from Broncos discard to a Maroons representative under Payten’s coaching, said it was the subtle touches that made his mentor so effective.
After discussing the humiliating prior defeat to the Tigers early in the week Payten went silent, choosing instead to hang posters with the scoreline all over Cowboys HQ.
‘66-18’ signs sat by the entrance to the training paddock, inside the recovery room and even inside the team showers.
“When you walk out onto the training paddock and you see that poster it definitely reminds you to make sure you have your mind on the job,” Dearden said.
North Queensland produced its most ruthless performance of the Payten era in response.
It was the first time the Cowboys had held an opponent to zero in 172 attempts and the greatest margin of victory in a first grade fixture since 1935.
“He’s a great coach and I think he prepares us really well,” Dearden reflected.
“Even when we were struggling to start the year he never got flustered and we felt his composure. I think that’s helped us turn it around.”
Hess said it was Payten’s relationship with his players that held the key to unlocking the best within them.
Following Scott Drinkwater’s promotion into the Blues squad Payten has now delivered seven players to the Origin arena in 2023.
Of that number only Valentine Holmes had played Origin before crossing paths with Payten.
“The best thing about Toddy is he’s got a really good relationship with the playing group and he’s really smart how he addresses us,” Hess said.
“It’s like he subconsciously challenges us. He’ll walk up and drop little hints or one-liners to get inside your head and you want to play for him.
“He’ll say, ‘such-and-such got the better of you there in the last game,’ stuff like that. He just tries to make it personal and that obviously triggers some people.
“I think he just knows the person and what makes them tick and that’s what makes him so good.”
Bookmakers have taken notice of North Queensland’s rapid turnaround.
After the last defeat to the Tigers the Cowboys dropped to $67 premiership outsiders with TAB.
After sweeping the Panthers ($3), South Sydney ($6) and Storm ($7) back to back, the Cowboys shaved $46 off their odds.
The electric attack displayed against the Tigers has sparked another sharp rise, leaving the Cowboys seventh-best backed in the competition.
The upcoming bye round could catapult North Queensland into the top eight.
The Cowboys sit ninth on 20 competition points but will earn two points on the sidelines while Parramatta, South Sydney and the Warriors (all tied on 22 points) take the field.
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Originally published as Dally M Coach of the Year 2023: Cowboys Todd Payten rocketing into contention for honour
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