NRL 2022: Jason Taumalolo regains spark as NQ Cowboys defeat Canberra Raiders
Cowboys star Jason Taumalolo regained his spark and his team found some steel in defence to snap a six-game losing streak at home with a convincing win against the Raiders.
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North Queensland produced its best defensive performance yet at Queensland Country Bank Stadium to beat the Raiders and snap a six-match losing streak at home.
The NRL’s worst defensive side last season has found its backbone in 2022 as the league’s first team to hold two opponents to single digits.
The understrength Raiders were down to third-choice halfback Matt Frawley and failed to take control of the match as they did in an upset victory over Cronulla in round one.
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There were no signs of that performance in Townsville from the visitors in Townsville as North Queensland, led by lock Jason Taumalolo and centre recruit Pita Hiku, produced the finest defensive display of the Todd Payten era.
A send-off to Raiders backrower Hudson Young helped the locals blow the Raiders away in the final 10 minutes as Kyle Feldt and Jeremiah Nanai pushed the lead from 14-6 to the final score.
Celebrations were tempered by the loss of popular frontrower Mitch Dunn to an ACL injury while backrower Tom Gilbert found himself on report for putting pressure on the neck of Semi Valemei in the 20th minute.
Raiders fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad will also front the judiciary for a high tackle on halfback Chad Townsend that made impact on the back of his head.
Winger Murray Taulagi opened the scoring for North Queensland in the seventh minute with a sweeping backline movement to the left wing.
Twin penalty goals to Valentine Holmes improved the Cowboys lead to 8-0 before Canberra answered through Corey Harawira-Naera, who scored through the tackle of five Cowboys players.
The Cowboys began their match-winning run in the 56th minute when fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow won an aerial battle with Nicoll-Klokstad to score.
Young was sent from the field in the 61st minute for impeding the kick chase of Nanai on the goalline, leaving his teammates under pressure and drained of energy as North Queensland probed for the knockout blow.
“Yeah it was (draining),” Raiders skipper Elliot Whitehead said.
“After them having all the momentum and then to lose a man was pretty disappointing. We couldn’t build any pressure and get momentum and we made too many errors.”
THE GREAT WALL OF NQ
The worst defensive team in the NRL in 2021 has flipped that script dramatically in the opening fortnight of the season.
The Cowboys leaked 31 points per game last season but will enter round three having conceded just 12 points in two games, the best record of any team to have played two matches.
Coach Payten couldn’t recall a better defensive performance in his tenure with the Cowboys, which captain Taumalolo credited to an off-season of tackling practice instigated by defence coach Dean Young.
North Queensland survived periods of intense Raiders pressure by forcing turnovers, an area of the game the club struggled mightily a season ago.
A Jack Wighton 40/20 kick early in the match came up empty-handed when Hiku cut off an overlap with an intercept that sparked a 50m break.
Nanai added a redzone intercept of his own moments later while Valentine Holmes and Taulagi forced turnovers of their own through physical, accurate defence.
Pressure on defence extended to the kick chase as well, with Nikoll-Klokstad and Sebatian Kris both losing control of testing probes inside the 20m zone to concede tries.
TAUMALOLO ANSWERS CRITICS
Taumalolo said criticism of his form and relationship with head coach Todd Payten had created a ‘poke the bear moment’ as he dominated Canberra for 141 metres from 14 carries.
The 28-year-old prop isn’t back to his Dally M medal-winning form yet but Saturday night’s victory over the Raiders was at least a step in that direction after a year of patchy form.
“Last week was all about blowing out the cobwebs and trying to get the motor running. Obviously with all the outside noise it was a bit of a poke the bear moment for me,” he said.
“I’m just good to be out there and running freely again.”
The 28-year-old ran reeled off seven carries for 72m in a 31-minute stint in the first half and then doubled it in just 24 minutes to finish with a match-high 141 metres from 14 carries.
Fox Sports analyst Greg Alexander said Taumalolo had carried the ball with high energy.
“He looked short of a gallop last week against the Bulldog but he’s been energetic – if you’ve got an energetic Jason Taumalolo he can’t not make an impact and that is what he’s done tonight.”
TREVILYAN’S BIG HOMECOMING
-Brent Read
Grant Trevilyan takes you back to the sugar capital of Australia — the region of Burdekin about one hour south of Townsville — when his son Adrian was five.
“He and his brother were keen to play rugby league,” Grant said.
“We were like no, no, no. On his sixth birthday we took him down. The coach took a look at him. He was a little bit small.
“The coach said he can train for the rest of the season but he can’t play until next year. We watched him train.
“At the end of the training session, the coach said you are playing on Saturday. He ran around smashing everyone.
“Right from the start he was throwing himself at everyone. He was going nuts. He’s been going hard for all these years.
“He’s never stopped loving the game. He’s really serious about it.”
Adrian Trevilyan made his debut for Canberra off the interchange bench on Saturday night. He did so in his own backyard.
At one point, as he was starring alongside Raiders teammate Brad Schneider for Kirwan State High in Townsville, he no doubt had dreams of pulling on a Cowboys jersey.
Instead, he played against them on Saturday night with more than 20 family members in the stands - the Trevilyans are season ticket holders at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
Every second weekend, they cheer the Cowboys home. On Saturday night, their allegiance will lie with the Green Machine, a club that took on their son and gave him a chance.
Trevilyan was lured to the nation’s capital, along with Schneider, by the club’s legendary recruitment guru Peter Mulholland. Mulholland’s head was turned as the pair helped Kirwan State High to the national title and Trevilyan won the Peter Sterling Medal as the most outstanding player in the competition - previous winners included David Fifita, Payne Haas and Adam Reynolds.
Trevilyan and Schneider boarded with a family when they first arrived in Canberra and then shared a home with a group of other young players.
It hasn’t always been easy. Like every other player in lower grades, Trevilyan has struggled for playing time over the past two years as Covid has ravaged the NSW Cup.
His development has been stunted but his commitment never waned and injury to Josh Hodgson has given him an opportunity on home soil.
“He’s obviously got a strong physique on him for a dummy half,” said Michael Ennis, the former NSW hooker who spent time as an assistant coach with the Raiders.
“He’s got a really good pass on him, he’s really sharp. He’s a competitor, that’s for sure. He’s got a great ability to get out and expose a tired defence.
“He was like a sponge wanting to learn. Unfortunately for Adrian, he’s had a real tough period. He was training with the first grade squad but he didn’t really get a lot of footy in him.
“He’s had to bide his time.”
Patience finally has its reward. Trevilyan may not get that long, but you can bet your bottom dollar he will make the most of every minute.
“As a parent you just love your kids and whatever happens, happens,” Grant Trevilyanm said.
“Hopefully he gets a bit of game time, and we can sit back and enjoy watching him follow his dream.”
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