North Queensland Cowboys suffer seventh loss in 10 games, slumping 20-12 to Wests Tigers

IT is one step forward, two steps back for the under siege Cowboys this season, after Wests Tigers inflicted North Queensland’s seventh loss in 10 rounds.

Thurston can’t stop David Nofoaluma scoring. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)

IT is one step forward, two steps back for the under siege Cowboys this season, after they sunk to their seventh loss in 10 rounds.

After a week of off-field turmoil, North Queensland were desperate to notch up their first back-to-back win of the season against the Tigers at Leichhardt Oval.

But their prayers to the football gods went unanswered, as they fell 20-12 to a gutsy and flashy Tigers outfit.

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Jason Taumalolo gets crunched by Luke Brooks and Chris Lawrence. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)

The Cowboys will deny they were distracted by the off-field dramas surrounding prop Scott Bolton, who was charged with indecent assault for an alleged incident in Bondi on Friday night.

But whether that is true or not, it was clear that last week’s win over the Panthers was not the start of their revival.

After 10 rounds, the pre-season premiership favourites have only managed three wins.

They also could lose forward Shaun Fensom to injury, after he went off with what appeared to be a dislocated elbow.

The headaches around Bolton’s charge will also not go away anytime soon and the dreams of winning Johnathan Thurston a premiership ring in his final season are fast fading.

Playing in Sydney against the Tigers has never been an easy feat for the Cowboys.

Thurston will retire having never won against them outside of Townsville in 13 attempts.

But, hoodoo or not, the Cowboys were their own worst enemy.

Thurston is taken out by Chris Lawrence. (Phil Hillyard)

The Tigers are playing an exciting brand of football that is hard to shut down, but Paul Green’s men had their chances and just simply did not capitalise.

Errors played a big part in the loss, with 16 to their name by the time the final hooter sounded.

They had a 38 per cent completion rate in the second half.

Coach Paul Green said he was proud of the team and the way they responded to the Bolton drama but they let themselves down with their second half performance.

“We shot ourselves in the foot,” he said.

“I thought we played good enough footy there but we didn’t control the ball well enough.

“Our energy and urgency and the way we went about it was good. If anything we were in too much of a hurry.

“We just can’t get kickstarted (this year) ... We get a win but don’t back it up with another one.

“If we play with that intent, energy and urgency and put some execution in that, we’ll be right.”

The most crucial error came when the Tigers were up 14-12 in the 70th minute and fullback Lachlan Coote dropped the ball in front of the line.

Wests regathered and quickly shifted to their right, with centre Esan Marsters barging over the line.

Thurston can’t stop David Nofoaluma scoring. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)

It was the final nail in the coffin for the Cowboys, who could have run away with a last-minute victory.

Last year they became renowned for their fighting spirit.

But it is clear at this stage that they are low on confidence and lost for answers.

There was certainly plenty of effort at various stages, but the execution was poor, the forwards were outmatched and there was no consistency.

It will be a massive task for the Cowboys now to return home and turn it around against the Rabbitohs.

Full-time WESTS TIGERS 20 (L Brooks E Marsters D Nofoaluma M Watene-Zelezniak tries E Marsters 2 goals) bt NORTH QUEENSLAND 12 (T Martin A Winterstein tries J Thurston 2 goals) at Leichhardt Oval. Referee: Gerard Sutton, Matt Noyen. Crowd: 13,127.

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