Cowboys captain Michael Morgan says 2020 team can help him reach his peak
Freed from responsibility and a certain long shadow, Michael Morgan believes his new teammates and a renewed confidence can help him find the form to lead North Queensland back to finals footy.
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North Queensland skipper Michael Morgan says he isn’t feeling the burden of succeeding Johnathan Thurston and has vowed to hit back as the Cowboys’ commander-in-chief this season.
Morgan will spearhead a fresh era for the club when the skipper becomes the first Cowboys to step onto the new $293 million North Queensland Stadium in Friday night’s season-opening derby against the Broncos.
It has been a turbulent past two years for Morgan.
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The Cowboys playmaker’s 2018 campaign was marred by abdominal and bicep injuries and when Thurston quit at the end of that season, Morgan was entrusted to steer North Queensland back into the finals.
It was a confidence buoyed by Morgan’s magical playoff series in 2017, when, in the absence of an injured Thurston, he piloted North Queensland to their second grand final appearance in three seasons.
In his maiden season as skipper in 2019, Morgan’s form never really reached great heights, but on the eve of a new premiership year, the 28-year-old is adamant he can flourish as the Cowboys’ playmaking sheriff.
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“I certainly feel comfortable being the main guy,” he said.
“I haven’t really felt that pressure (to replace Thurston). A lot of people talk saying I have struggled since ‘JT’ left, but it’s only been one season.
“It might feel like longer but I’m at ease with it. I think I suffered a bit from the whole snowball effect of our last two seasons.
“It was more difficult at times last year without JT naturally but I haven’t lost my self-belief and I’m keen to get back to my 2017 form.”
As he enters his 11th NRL season, having amassed 160 top-grade games since his debut in 2010, Morgan insists his prime years are ahead of him.
“I still believe I can get better,” he said. “I haven’t reached my peak.
“I missed the majority of 2018 with injuries and last year I was up and down with my form. Whether it was frustration at the season or trying too hard to create opportunities that maybe weren’t there, when your season is up and down it affects your personal form.
“It was a challenge last year but I still enjoyed it. The off-field stuff that went on throughout the season made it challenging but I actually enjoyed the captaincy and I have learned a lot from it.”
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Morgan challenged the Cowboys to return to the finals this season and believes the class of new halves partner Scott Drinkwater will help his personal form.
“It’s extremely important, you don’t want to be finishing in the bottom four and not giving yourself a chance to be there at the end of the year,” he said.
“My issue has been finding that consistency and that’s something you always strive for as a player. But with our recruitment this year, I don’t feel as much responsibility on myself to create certain things and make things happen.
“It’s not ideal when you are chopping and changing in the halves but with Scotty Drinkwater’s ability, hopefully it can help my game.”