Lachlan Coote: Lack of trust among players killing North Queensland Cowboys

A LACK of on-field trust among Cowboys players has led to the team not believing in their game plan, fullback Lachlan Coote says.

Trial match between the North Queensland Cowboys v Townsville Blackhawks from Jack Manski Oval. Cowboys Lachlan Coote is tackled by Blackhawks Jahrome Hughes. Picture: Zak Simmonds

A LACK of on-field trust among Cowboys players has led to the team not believing in their game plan, fullback Lachlan Coote says.

Coote was one of the few Cowboys who could hold his head high following their third straight loss on Friday night.

In his first game for club since signing mid-way through 2013 Coote was a standout at fullback and justified coach Paul Green’s shift of Michael Morgan to five-eighth.

He didn’t make an error in 80 minutes as the Cowboys dropped the pill 12 times and missed 47 tackles in their 44-22 loss to Brisbane.

Coote said the Cowboys group needed to be “tighter” because at the moment they weren’t trusting each other.

He echoed the sentiments of co-captain Johnathan Thurston who described his team’s confidence as “shot”.

Lachlan Coote says the Cowboys lack confidence. Picture: Zak Simmonds

“Yeah, I think it is (shot),” Coote said.

“We are trying the best we can. It feels like training is going well.

“We aren’t executing in games though.

“We need to be tighter as a group.

“We need to believe that what we are doing as a group will work if we execute it properly.

“It is hard to come back from where we are.

“Hopefully we can change.”

Not since 2008 have the Cowboys lost their opening three matches.

That year they only ended up winning five games all season in a disastrous effort.

Immortal Andrew Johns however backed the club to rebound.

“Without a shadow of a doubt they will make the eight,” Johns said on The Sunday Footy Show.

“They have too good of a list.”

Brad Fittler however was scathing in response.

“It looked like they had no spirit and no fight,” he said of the Cowboys performance against Brisbane.

Coote admitted to feeling isolated and emotional during his year out of the squad as he recovered from injury.

His debut was a good news story in a horrible night for the Cowboys.

“It has been a long time. It has been emotional being out of the team.

“I have been injured way too much.

“It was good to debut but it wasn’t memorable.

“It is good to be back. You do feel left out. I just had to get through it.

“All I want to do is play footy.”

Green backed Coote as the Cowboys fullback moving forward.

“I thought he had some nice touches. For him it’s about getting back, he hasn’t played a lot of footy for a long time now,” Green said.

Originally published as Lachlan Coote: Lack of trust among players killing North Queensland Cowboys