Stido
18-09-2008, 07:28 AM
http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2008/09/18/16275_sport.html
North Queensland Cowboys under-20s faced big learning curve
ANTONY STEWART (stewarta@nqn.newsltd.com.au)
September 18th, 2008
http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/images/uploadedfiles/editorial/pictures/2008/09/17/Tom-Humble.jpg
BIG TEST ... halfback Tom Humble was a big contributor for the Cowboys under-20 side, making 19 appearances and easily topping the scoring tally with 95 points
NO team faced a bigger trial by fire than the Cowboys' under-20s in 2008. Drawing the bulk of their talent from North Queensland, the players had almost no idea what they were going to be in for when the whistle blew to start their campaign.
From unlimited interchange and 70-minute games, the Cowboys players were asked to make an enormous step up and play the way their NRL heroes do, week in, week out.
Sydney clubs, on the other hand, had been priming their players for years through the prestigious Harold Matthews and SG Ball junior competitions.
On top of that, the young Cowboys were out-weighed by almost every team in the competition.
While North Queensland struggled to get a 100kg prop on the field, their opponents would regularly field a backline bigger than their pack.
The competition took its toll, on and off the field.
The Cowboys lost a whopping 230 playing weeks through injury, including three of their four front rowers for all but one game.
That alone put them on the back foot from the start and it showed in North Queensland's early results as they regularly found themselves on the end of thrashings.
With the club finishing with the wooden spoon, it indicates things didn't get much better.
But departing coach Grant Bell strongly disagrees.
Bell reckons the Cowboys should forget the unwanted silverware and concentrate on the fact they completed the year as the most improved team in the competition.
He points out that in the opening eight rounds their average losing margin was 17 points.
Between rounds nine to 26, the average losing margin was just six points.
During that time the Cowboys pushed, beat or drew with the best teams in the competition – teams that advanced into the finals.
That, Bell said, was clear proof the team had begun to come to terms with what was expected of them, which all came with experience.
Further proof was that four players – Obe Geia, Nick Slyney, Brandon Boor and Sam Bowie – received call-ups to the first-grade team.
Boor has since been offered a top-grade contract for 2009 and Slyney will soon follow.
While Bell is on the way out, to be replaced by Kristian Woolfe as coach, he said he looked forward to what the future holds for the young team.
Unlike many other clubs, the bulk of the Cowboys under-20 squad will return in 2009.
With that experience under their belt and the knowledge they can pass on to the new players brought in, Bell expects North Queensland to climb the ladder considerably.
Top pointscorers
1 Tom Humble: 19 games 12 tries 23 goals 95pts
2 Steven Beaumont: 16 games 4 tries 9 goals 34pts
3 Obadiah Geia: 17 games 8 tries 0 goals 32pts
4 Chris Reisen: 17 games 4 tries 8 goals 32pts
5 Ben Lancini: 11 games 7 tries 0 goals 28pts
6 Jack Cooper: 14 games 6 tries 2 goals 28pts
7 Nathan Barraclough: 14 games 1 tries 11 goals 26pts
8 Sam Bowie: 7 games 6 tries 0 goals 24pts
9 Nick Slyney: 20 games 6 tries 0 goals 24pts
10 Ryan Carr: 24 games 5 tries 0 goals 20pts
11 Chippie Korostchuck: 13 games 5 tries 0 goals 20pts
12 Brandon Boor: 21 games 4 tries 0 goals 16pts
13 Shaun Maloney: 24 games 4 tries 0 goals 16pts
14 Ray Thompson: 20 games 4 tries 0 goals 16pts
North Queensland Cowboys under-20s faced big learning curve
ANTONY STEWART (stewarta@nqn.newsltd.com.au)
September 18th, 2008
http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/images/uploadedfiles/editorial/pictures/2008/09/17/Tom-Humble.jpg
BIG TEST ... halfback Tom Humble was a big contributor for the Cowboys under-20 side, making 19 appearances and easily topping the scoring tally with 95 points
NO team faced a bigger trial by fire than the Cowboys' under-20s in 2008. Drawing the bulk of their talent from North Queensland, the players had almost no idea what they were going to be in for when the whistle blew to start their campaign.
From unlimited interchange and 70-minute games, the Cowboys players were asked to make an enormous step up and play the way their NRL heroes do, week in, week out.
Sydney clubs, on the other hand, had been priming their players for years through the prestigious Harold Matthews and SG Ball junior competitions.
On top of that, the young Cowboys were out-weighed by almost every team in the competition.
While North Queensland struggled to get a 100kg prop on the field, their opponents would regularly field a backline bigger than their pack.
The competition took its toll, on and off the field.
The Cowboys lost a whopping 230 playing weeks through injury, including three of their four front rowers for all but one game.
That alone put them on the back foot from the start and it showed in North Queensland's early results as they regularly found themselves on the end of thrashings.
With the club finishing with the wooden spoon, it indicates things didn't get much better.
But departing coach Grant Bell strongly disagrees.
Bell reckons the Cowboys should forget the unwanted silverware and concentrate on the fact they completed the year as the most improved team in the competition.
He points out that in the opening eight rounds their average losing margin was 17 points.
Between rounds nine to 26, the average losing margin was just six points.
During that time the Cowboys pushed, beat or drew with the best teams in the competition – teams that advanced into the finals.
That, Bell said, was clear proof the team had begun to come to terms with what was expected of them, which all came with experience.
Further proof was that four players – Obe Geia, Nick Slyney, Brandon Boor and Sam Bowie – received call-ups to the first-grade team.
Boor has since been offered a top-grade contract for 2009 and Slyney will soon follow.
While Bell is on the way out, to be replaced by Kristian Woolfe as coach, he said he looked forward to what the future holds for the young team.
Unlike many other clubs, the bulk of the Cowboys under-20 squad will return in 2009.
With that experience under their belt and the knowledge they can pass on to the new players brought in, Bell expects North Queensland to climb the ladder considerably.
Top pointscorers
1 Tom Humble: 19 games 12 tries 23 goals 95pts
2 Steven Beaumont: 16 games 4 tries 9 goals 34pts
3 Obadiah Geia: 17 games 8 tries 0 goals 32pts
4 Chris Reisen: 17 games 4 tries 8 goals 32pts
5 Ben Lancini: 11 games 7 tries 0 goals 28pts
6 Jack Cooper: 14 games 6 tries 2 goals 28pts
7 Nathan Barraclough: 14 games 1 tries 11 goals 26pts
8 Sam Bowie: 7 games 6 tries 0 goals 24pts
9 Nick Slyney: 20 games 6 tries 0 goals 24pts
10 Ryan Carr: 24 games 5 tries 0 goals 20pts
11 Chippie Korostchuck: 13 games 5 tries 0 goals 20pts
12 Brandon Boor: 21 games 4 tries 0 goals 16pts
13 Shaun Maloney: 24 games 4 tries 0 goals 16pts
14 Ray Thompson: 20 games 4 tries 0 goals 16pts