Wendell Sailor: the most under pressure team in the NRL

FOR so many years this team has promised so much but failed to deliver that elusive NRL premiership. Things are starting to get desperate. It’s now or never.

NRL Rd 1 - Cowboys v Roosters

THE Cowboys and the Warriors have been as disappointing as each other since coming into the competition in 1995.

They’ve both had really strong sides over the years. The Warriors made the grand final a couple of times and the Cowboys once, in 2005, which should have been their year but Benji Marshall and Scotty Prince tore them apart that day for the Tigers.

Yes, the Cowboys have had some tough calls the past couple of years, but we’re talking 20 years without a title.

People have said if the North Queensland Cowboys don’t win the premiership this year or next year, they’re never going to win it.

I’m with them.

Johnathan Thurston is their key and he’s not getting any younger. He’s 32 this year. He gets targeted a lot and your body can’t hold up to the week in, week out grind anymore.

They’re notoriously slow starters, so you need to take that into consideration with their winless start, but coach Paul Green had to make some changes this week. It was a bit of panic but they need to get back in the winners’ circle really quickly.

Johnathan Thurston isn’t getting any younger.

WHAT’S WRONG AT THE COWBOYS?

It’s the expectation. We saw it with the Bunnies, and also the Dragons who hadn’t won a premiership for a long time.

The pressure on the players individually is so high — they’re trying that hard to deliver that premiership.

They’re missing Ashton and Tariq Sims, who’ve both moved on. They both play a very aggressive style of rugby league and last year it was so good to have them around Thurston.

We saw what happened last week: the Cowboys are getting bullied a bit.

Someone should have grabbed Beau Scott the other day and — not punched him — but let him know that’s not on. You’ve got to protect the ball players and Ashton and Tariq were Johnno’s protectors. They didn’t take any crap.

I remember sitting on the sidelines for Triple M a couple years ago and watching Dave Taylor size up Daly Cherry-Evans all day. All of a sudden Glenn Stewart came from nowhere and let him know that if you’re going to run at Cherry-Evans, mate you’ve got to deal with me as well.

Another player the Cowboys are missing is Brent Tate. He’s a player you don’t think about. You’re not going to talk about him like a Greg Inglis or a Justin Hodges or a Jamie Lyon, but he’s not far behind those guys. Tate was such a competitor and such a calming force that when things were going wrong, he was a player to turn to.

The Cowboys are missing enforcers Ashton and Tariq Sims.

WILL THURSTON BECOME AN IMMORTAL WITHOUT A PREMIERSHIP?

Johnathan Thurston has won a premiership off the bench at the Bulldogs but there are some who have asked does he need to lead the Cowboys to a premiership to become an immortal?

It’s a fair question, but look at what he has done throughout his career: he’s tied Andrew Johns with three Dally Ms; he’s the only player to have played in every match for Queensland’s run of eight consecutive State of Origin victories; he’s won a World Cup; two Golden Boots.

I’ve played with him and I’ve played against him and as far as I’m concerned there’s no question he should be an immortal.

Originally published as Wendell Sailor: the most under pressure team in the NRL