North Queensland Cowboys call for unity with Paul Green under pressure
North Queensland coach Paul Green is under pressure but the club boss says everyone should take ownership for form.
North Queensland chief executive Jeff Reibel spent Friday afternoon locked in a membership meeting. He emerged to insist the entire club had to take ownership for the inconsistent performances that have blighted their start to the season and prompted those very same members to raise questions over the club’s direction.
The Cowboys were woeful in the second half against the Sydney Roosters on Thursday night as they succumbed to their sixth loss this season. Every time the Roosters touched the ball, they looked like they would score.
Cowboys legend Johnathan Thurston, working in commentary for the Nine Network, provided a bleak response when he was asked whether he could see light at the end of the tunnel. Thurston suggested it was difficult to see when you concede points at will.
The performance raised fresh queries over the future of coach Paul Green, who has been a lightning rod for criticism when the side has lost this season. Asked about Thurston’s comments, Reibel said: “I reckon that is a bit of frustration from a legend of the club, a guy who has spilt blood for the club, and played over 300 games for us.
“He knows what our club is about. He is a passionate man. This is his club. He wants to see it succeed.”
Success seems a long way away after nights like Thursday night. The Cowboys have injuries, most notably captain Michael Morgan, but there is no excuse for the inept second half.
It’s not a recent problem either. Since making the 2017 grand final, they have won only 20 times – or 35 per cent of their matches.
Those results have heaped pressure on Green at a time when coaches across the NRL are under the gun. In Brisbane, Anthony Seibold is feeling the heat.
The same at the Bulldogs, where Dean Pay is expected to be informed within days that his contract will not be extended at the end of the season.
Unlike Seibold and Pay, Green has won a premiership and would walk into a job elsewhere should the Cowboys decide to head in another direction, be it in coming months or at the end of the season.
For the moment, Reibel has once again preached the need for the entire club to take some responsibility for their performances.
“We’re putting together one half of footy,” Reibel said.
“We need to put together the second half as well. What we need to do is take overall ownership. We need to support and create opportunities for people to do what they need to do.
“We have the right people to do that.”
The Cowboys’ woes are mirrored in Brisbane and Seibold has taken the radical step of handing over the reins to his senior players in an attempt to reinvigorate their season.
Leadership has been a bugbear for the club since Seibold took over but those in the firing line have taken ownership this week as they prepare for a game against the struggling Bulldogs at Suncorp Stadium.
A loss would edge Brisbane closer to the first wooden spoon in their history.
“One of the great things about our coach is he’s always open to ideas,” captain Alex Glenn said.
“He likes to keep things his way but he does compromise. Seibs understands that a football team doesn’t work just one way, he understands you have to compromise between players and staff.
“We have changed up the style of training from the get-go this week and it’s been unreal. Seibs put it on ourselves to do whatever we need to do to make sure we turn up and do our jobs this week.
“When you have the coach who is willing to change his training and listen to us, it’s great.”
The Broncos had their recovery session at a golf driving range and did their reviews off-site. They also had breakfast together on Friday in an attempt to revive their fortunes. All the activities were approved by Project Apollo and designed to put a rocket under their season, which is fast fading away.
“We have cut out the outside noise,” Glenn said.
“A lot of us went off social media, including myself, and that’s not to say we have let things dictate my emotions, me getting upset about the game last week had nothing to do with outside noise.
“It was the frustration of the game and the results we were getting. If you care for your mate you will turn up and do your job and this week was about getting that team spirit back.”
The Broncos have been dealt a crushing blow with strike centre Kotoni Staggs ruled out of Saturday night’s clash with the Bulldogs.
Staggs’ hamstring injury has flared again after a week of training, prompting Seibold to scratch his star centre.
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