Cowboys fall exposed by NRL bloodbath in Sharks slaughter

The North Queensland Cowboys’ season from hell has continued as the side’s fall from grace was laid bare against the Sharks.

Two sin bins including Jeremiah Nanai was the last thing the Cowboys needed. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

If you weren’t sure how far the Cowboys have fallen, the round 9 clash with the Cronulla Sharks has shown exactly how far.

After four seasons in the doldrums, the Cowboys were the surprise packets of the 2022 season, finishing third and missing the grand final by a try.

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A lot was expected of Todd Payten’s side in 2023 and the side has once again been the surprise packets of the season — but for all the wrong reasons.

Unless an injury ravaged Bulldogs can find a win against the Dragons, the Cowboys will finish round 9 in 15th on the NRL ladder with only Canterbury and the hapless Wests Tigers below them.

It comes after the Cowboys were routed 44-6 by the Sharks in a Thursday night thrashing.

It’s a long way from the qualifying final last season at the same venue where a Valentine Holmes two-point field goal handed the Cowboys a home preliminary final.

Unfortunately, it’s come on the same night the Paul Green Medal was unveiled for the best on ground in the clash between the two clubs.

The Cowboys hardly fired a shot, going down 20-0 after 27 minutes.

While the sides went to the break at 20-6, Fox League’s Cooper Cronk said the Cowboys defence was “all over the place” as the Sharks blew them out of the water.

The Sharks continued in the second half, running in four more tries to complete what Dan Ginnane called a “thoroughly dominant performance”.

Two second half sin bins, including Coen Hess, who was sent for 10 for a trip, and Jeremiah Nanai, who was sin binned for a hip drop on Braden Hamlin-Uele.

The Cowboys had a shocker. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Taking to Twitter, Andrew Voss said the Cowboys collapse would be discussed on his SEN show with Greg Alexander.

“From the rugby league penthouse to the you know where it seems this season. Their best football was the opening 20 mins of year v Raiders and nothing all that great since. Big shock,” he tweeted.

The Cowboys have gone from 3rd and a prelim, to being the second worst team in the comp... and that said even the Tigers would have beaten them comfortably tonight #NRLSharksCowboys#NRL

— Adam Hayward (@AdzSportz) April 27, 2023

Cowboys winger Kyle Feldt was furious post-game on Nine, slamming the side’s performance as “unacceptable”.

“We started the game the complete opposite to the way we spoke about in the sheds and all week,” he told Johnathan Thurston on Nine’s post-game coverage.

“You can’t give a quality team like the Sharks the amount of possession we did. We just couldn’t defend our errors.

“We spoke about that all year, and the first set on our try line, they go straight through. Unacceptable at the moment.”

Nicho Hynes tore the Cowboys apart. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Cowboys coach Todd Payten said it was “far from pretty”, with the side committing 43 missed tackles for the game to the Sharks’ 13.

“Not happy at all,” Payten said.

“A lot of the tries conceded didn’t come from systems break down, they came from one-on-one misses. Tackling is hurting us.

“I’m not offering up any excuse, that was far from NRL standard tonight.”

Nicho Hynes was excellent again, claiming the inaugural Paul Green Medal, having scored 20 points, had 19 runs for 140m and adding a try assist and line break assist as he led Cronulla around the field.