Round 3 (v Storm) - Teams & Stories

[Granty]

Cowboys v Storm

Round 3 Toyota Cup 2009
Dairy Farmers Stadium
28 Mar 09
6.15pm
gates open 6.00pm

NQ Cowboys

1. Wayne Ulugia
2. Obe Geia
3. Moses Pangai
4. Steven Eliott
5. Mitchell Zornig
6. Sam Bowie
7. Ben Cronin
8. Ronnie Alovili
9. Michael Morgan
10. Dane Hogan
11. Troyden Watene
12. Jack Cooper
13. Tyson Martin

14. James Segeyaro
15. Chris Faust
16. Shaun Maloney
17. Dylan Smith


Melbourne Storm

1. Gareth Widdop
2. Josh Jerome
3. Sam Joe
4. Rob Rochow
5. Matt Duffie
6. Grayson Goodwin
7. Luke Kelly ©
8. Pulou Vaituutuu
9. James Woolford
10. Jesse Bromwich
11. Brendan Train
12. Fred Makimare
13. Billy Rogers

14. Blake Leary
15. Pita Maile
16. Andrew Smith
17. Matt Croker
18. Sam Martin

[Granty]

http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2009/03/26/46641_sport.html

Under-20 Cowboys intensify focus

NATALIE PEUT

March 26th, 2009

http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/images/uploadedfiles/editorial/pictures/2009/03/25/Jack-Cooper.jpg
SOLID PERFORMER ... Jack Cooper

THE Cowboys' new under-20 halves combination will look to dominate when they come up against Melbourne at Dairy Farmers Stadium on Saturday.

North Queensland were forced to change their halves pairing at the start of the season after captain and halfback Ray Thompson seriously injured his shoulder.

Thompson underwent surgery yesterday and is expected to return in 12 weeks. The absence of the talented playmaker forced fullback Sam Bowie to move into five-eighth and Ben Cronin shift to halfback.

"We've had to manufacture a halves combination," coach Kristian Woolf said.

"Bowie has never played (five-eighth) before and I wasn't unhappy with his performance, he's getting better the more time he spends out there."

Last weekend the Cowboys were on the end of a 22-6 thumping from the West Tigers, which will prove an extra incentive against the in-form Storm.

Melbourne will go into the game confident after thrashing Brisbane 48-14.

"We were a little disappointed in last week, our effort and enthusiasm wasn't as good as the week before," Woolf said.

"We addressed that during the week and we are a lot more mentally prepared this week for the game. We had a very good training session on Monday and another one today – we are hoping it shows this weekend."

Experienced Cowboys under-20s player Jack Cooper has been solid in the second row for the team so far this season.

After Cooper came into 2009 a little scratchy after undergoing shoulder surgery during the off-season, Woolf said he was steadily getting his confidence back.

"He was very good last year and he offers us a lot of experience this year as a result of that," he said.

"He was always going to be a little rusty for the first few games ... (but) he's been quite good for us in the last two and we're looking for him to continue improving."

[Granty]

from http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2009/03/28/46991_news.html


Meanwhile the Cowboys under-20s have engineered a stunning come from behind win against the Storm to prevail 29-28.

Halfback Ben Cronin slotted home the match-winning field goal in the final minute of the game after North Queensland had trailed by 18 points just after halftime.

COWBOYS UNDER-20s 29 (R Alovil, J Segeyaro, M Zornig, T Watene, S Eliot tries; B Cronin four goals, field goal)
d STORM UNDER-20s 28 (J Jerome 2, G Widdop, P Maile, R Rochow tries; Widdop three goals, pen goal)

[Granty]

from the post game presentations at the Cowboys Leagues Club


the Cowboys U20's Man of the Match went to Ronnie Alovili

[Granty]

http://www.cowboys.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=11507

Magnificent NYC second-half comeback

Saturday, March 28, 2009

http://www.cowboys.com.au/site/_content/article/00011507-leadimage.jpg

A determined second half display from a slow start enabled the Toyota Cowboys Under 20s side to reel in a rampaging Melbourne Storm and secure a last minute 29-28 victory in the Toyota Cup.

Trailing 6-18 at the break, having conceded three tries to the Storm, the young Cowboys fell further behind in the 45th minute to trail 6-24 before the fightback started.

Playing much more disciplined football in the final 35 minutes, the Cowboys made the most of their opportunities to score three tries and level the scores 28-28 with five minutes to go.

Ben Cronin, who had earlier kicked a sideline goal to bring the scores level, coolly landed a winning field goal with just thirty-nine seconds to go to the rapture of the home crowd.

North Queensland Toyota Cowboys 29 (Ronnie Alovili, James Segeyaro, Mitchell Zornig, Troyden Watene, Steve Eliott tries, Ben Cronin 4 goals, 1 field goal)
d Melbourne Storm 28 (Josh Jerome 2, Gareth Widdup, Pita Maile, Rob Rochow tries, Gareth Widdup 4 goals)

[Granty]

http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2009/03/30/47165_sport.html

Young Cowboys storm home in Townsville thriller

JOSH ALSTON

March 30th, 2009

http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/images/uploadedfiles/editorial/pictures/2009/03/30/Cowboys-under-20s.jpg
YEE HA ... Cowboys under-20s centre Steven Eliott (No. 4)
jumps on Ben Cronin after his field goal

IN a stunning second-half fightback, the Cowboys under-20s pipped the Melbourne Storm 29-28 in a thrilling Toyota Cup clash on Saturday night.

Trailing 26-4 just after halftime, the Cowboys looked gone for all money against a much larger Storm outfit.

But they surged back in a three-try blitz with James Segeyaro, Mitchell Zornig and Troyden Watene all crossing.

A contentious late try to the Storm's Josh Jerome threatened to derail their comeback, but Steven Eliott scored in the right corner and half Ben Cronin converted from the sideline to level the scores.

Cronin then provided the heroics in the final minute with a field goal to seal the result.

Coach Kristian Woolf was ecstatic with the win and praised the spirit of his players after they folded in their 22-6 loss to the Tigers the week before.

"Their spirit was very good, it's something we addressed all week," he said.

"Last week we did drop our bundle a bit when things weren't going our way and our opposition last week was nowhere near the quality of (the Storm) I don't think.

"Last night we didn't do the same thing, we were able to compete for 80 minutes.

"I think it was a tribute to our fitness, if you have a look at the end of the game we were very much all over them."

The win was built on a strong performance from the forward pack, led by spearhead Ronnie Alovili, who were forced to muscle up against a giant Melbourne pack.

"Our forwards were very tough, Ronnie Alovili was terrific, he played 65 minutes which is more than we thought he had in him and 45 of those were straight," Woolf said.

"Shaun Maloney as quite good for us up front and certainly offered a fair bit when he was on the field, Dane Hogan was tough as always.

"Troyden Watene was strong again and the other guys who came on in Jack Cooper, Dylan Smith and Chris Faust, they all contributed as well so I was pretty happy with what we did in the middle."

Cronin's effort was inspiring, with the former Rooster paired with regular hooker Michael Morgan in the halves after Sam Bowie went down injured at training on Thursday night.

Woolf praised the efforts of 17-year-old Morgan, who has stepped up admirably in the absence of injured captain Ray Thompson and Bowie.

"I keep talking about the age of some of these kids, while it's a great feat for Moses (Pangai) and Wayne (Ulugia) to be playing fullback and centre at their age, halfback is a very, very demanding position for a 17-year-old to be playing," he said.

"To be ordering 20-year-olds where you want them to be on the field is a big task for him, so I've got to give him a rap there, too."