NRL: Former Cowboy says onus on players, not coach

Former North Queensland Cowboy flyer Ty Williams has backed rampaging forward Josh McGuire’s comments, putting the onus on players to step up and stop the slide.

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Former North Queensland Cowboys flyer Ty Williams has backed rampaging forward Josh McGuire’s comments, putting the onus on players to step up and stop the slide.

Paul Green’s position as coach has been under pressure after recent performances, but Williams, who played 151 NRL games for the club, said the buck stopped with the players.

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Cowboys players look dejected during the round six NRL match between the Wests Tigers and the North Queensland Cowboys at Campbelltown Stadium on June 20, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

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“It’s an interesting one,” he said.

“I think Greeny isn’t the only one (coach) that’s under the pump at the moment.

“At the end of the day, when you cross the stripe, it’s the 13 blokes out there.

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“The areas that they were poor in, it wasn’t coaching stuff, it was desire and ability to do things.

“You don’t drop the footy in the second tackle of the game and let them roll on you straight away.”

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Williams wasn’t the only former Cowboy to question the players’ desire after the loss.

“Sometimes I think we need to check the team for a heartbeat at stages the way they are playing,” Williams’ former Cowboys’ teammate Brent Tate told Fox League.

While North Queensland are missing the likes of Michael Morgan, Valentine Holmes and Jordan McLean, the effort of players on the field was most concerning.

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Williams said this Friday would be a chance for the Cowboys to turn things around, with opponents Newcastle “where the Cowboys needed to be”.

“You see them play 90 minutes a couple of weeks ago, when they were down to 14 men, and the confidence they got out of that moving forward has got them on a really good roll,” he said.

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“I think that’s the desire the Cowboys need to be chasing.”

The Cowboys have won just two games all year – against Canterbury and Gold Coast – and are sitting in 10th spot on the NRL ladder, just one loss away from the bottom four.

They have a tough month ahead of them, with games against the Knights, Eels, Roosters and Panthers – currently the top four teams in the competition.

Originally published as NRL: Former Cowboy says onus on players, not coach