mic_wilson
18-07-2006, 11:13 AM
NORTH Queensland coach Graham Murray will be seeking better execution and option-taking from his halves against Brisbane in Saturday's clash in Townsville.
Murray was disappointed with the Cowboys' kicking game in their loss to Penrith in Sydney on Saturday, saying it failed to build pressure.
Five-eighth Johnathan Thurston handled most of the kicking duties against Penrith, kicking the ball 17 times.
Fullback Matt Bowen, usually the Cowboys' second kicking option, kicked four times, and halfback Brent McConnell, brought into the squad to ease pressure on chief playmaker Thurston, kicked just once.
Murray lamented the Cowboys' erratic set finishes and identified this as an area that needed improvement.
"At the back ends of our sets we could have been a bit better," he said.
"They weren't that good. That's a big part of this game these days, how you finish and complete.
"The conditions didn't help. Both sides were a bit off their game. You had to be a bit more cautious with the football. It was a pretty dour struggle."
The Cowboys will today name their squad to take on the Broncos and it remains to be seen whether Murray will stick with McConnell.
The pint-sized former Burleigh Bear struggled to assert his authority against Penrith, and he rarely used the running game that has made him such a weapon in the Queensland Cup.
The Cowboys have tried five different halves combinations already this season, with Thurston previously being partnered by Brett Firman, Justin Smith, Shane Muspratt and Travis Norton.
Firman, in and out of first grade all year, has been sidelined for the past three weeks with a groin strain.
Murray conceded halfback had become a problem position for the Cowboys, but he remained confident a return to form was near.
"We're not far away," he said.
"Even when we were winning early in the year, we weren't far ahead of those teams either. There's not much difference between two teams at this level."
Captain Norton said the Cowboys, who have lost nine of their past 11 matches, could not be faulted for a lack of effort.
But he said the side was struggling for cohesion and fluency.
"It's probably just an execution thing . . . a few dropped balls and not taking those opportunities," he said.
"No one likes losing. The boys have been trying their hearts out the whole time. Just the little things aren't working for us. That's the difference between winning and losing."
Cowboys chief executive Peter Parr said the players had been particularly despondent after the loss to Penrith as they had hoped the return of stars Thurston, Carl Webb and Luke O'Donnell from Origin would have inspired the side to victory.
They were extra determined to get back on track with a win over arch rivals Brisbane.
"Our motivation is really just to recapture our early season form," he said.
"We haven't been getting the rub of the green of late but I couldn't think of many better ways to find it than at home against the Broncos."
The Courier-Mail
:bondage: :mouthshut: :finger: :scratchhead:
Murray was disappointed with the Cowboys' kicking game in their loss to Penrith in Sydney on Saturday, saying it failed to build pressure.
Five-eighth Johnathan Thurston handled most of the kicking duties against Penrith, kicking the ball 17 times.
Fullback Matt Bowen, usually the Cowboys' second kicking option, kicked four times, and halfback Brent McConnell, brought into the squad to ease pressure on chief playmaker Thurston, kicked just once.
Murray lamented the Cowboys' erratic set finishes and identified this as an area that needed improvement.
"At the back ends of our sets we could have been a bit better," he said.
"They weren't that good. That's a big part of this game these days, how you finish and complete.
"The conditions didn't help. Both sides were a bit off their game. You had to be a bit more cautious with the football. It was a pretty dour struggle."
The Cowboys will today name their squad to take on the Broncos and it remains to be seen whether Murray will stick with McConnell.
The pint-sized former Burleigh Bear struggled to assert his authority against Penrith, and he rarely used the running game that has made him such a weapon in the Queensland Cup.
The Cowboys have tried five different halves combinations already this season, with Thurston previously being partnered by Brett Firman, Justin Smith, Shane Muspratt and Travis Norton.
Firman, in and out of first grade all year, has been sidelined for the past three weeks with a groin strain.
Murray conceded halfback had become a problem position for the Cowboys, but he remained confident a return to form was near.
"We're not far away," he said.
"Even when we were winning early in the year, we weren't far ahead of those teams either. There's not much difference between two teams at this level."
Captain Norton said the Cowboys, who have lost nine of their past 11 matches, could not be faulted for a lack of effort.
But he said the side was struggling for cohesion and fluency.
"It's probably just an execution thing . . . a few dropped balls and not taking those opportunities," he said.
"No one likes losing. The boys have been trying their hearts out the whole time. Just the little things aren't working for us. That's the difference between winning and losing."
Cowboys chief executive Peter Parr said the players had been particularly despondent after the loss to Penrith as they had hoped the return of stars Thurston, Carl Webb and Luke O'Donnell from Origin would have inspired the side to victory.
They were extra determined to get back on track with a win over arch rivals Brisbane.
"Our motivation is really just to recapture our early season form," he said.
"We haven't been getting the rub of the green of late but I couldn't think of many better ways to find it than at home against the Broncos."
The Courier-Mail
:bondage: :mouthshut: :finger: :scratchhead: