Granty
24-08-2009, 07:16 AM
http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2009/08/24/73785_cowboys.html
Hogan earns first-grade contract
JOSH ALSTON
August 24th, 2009
http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/images/uploadedfiles/editorial/pictures/2009/08/23/dane-hogan.jpg
Dane Hogan
WHILE the Cowboys under-20s season may be all but over there is a light at the end of the tunnel for captain Dane Hogan - an NRL contract.
The tireless second-rower has been inspirational for the club this season as they came within an inch of a maiden finals appearance after finishing with the wooden spoon last season.
Their season came unravelled in bizarre circumstances in Newcastle on Saturday, where they lost 42-38 in a try-fest where they almost stole the game. After 54 minutes, the Knights had run rampant over the Cowboys with seven tries, handing them a seemingly unassailable 40-10 advantage.
But North Queensland went on a rampage in the final 26 minutes, piling on five tries of their own to come within a whisker of an unlikely victory.
Hogan was happy with the finish, but said they had ultimately shot themselves in the foot in the opening stages when they allowed winger Peter Mata'utia and fullback Johnathon Ford too much room.
''We gave them too much of a lead at the start, we ended up coming home strong at the end but it was too little too late,'' he said.
''We've got a slight chance of making the finals but we're just concentrating on our last two games.''
Hogan has had a stellar season in 2009 after shedding weight and reinventing himself from a prop to a roving lock.
The positional switch has allowed him to post big numbers this year, averaging 110.7m a game and 23 tackles.
His efforts have not gone unrewarded and he will be one of the Cowboys first-grade team's 25 contracted players next season.
''I'm pretty happy I'm up there next year,'' he said.
''I ended up signing a couple of years ago, I was hoping to play good footy this year to keep my contract. It's definitely been a good experience (in the NYC), I think it's brought me closer to the level of NRL, it's brought all the boys a lot closer.''
Hogan credited a lot of his development to players like Luke O'Donnell and Carl Webb who regularly train against the younger crop of Cowboys and are always happy to mentor them.
He is looking forward to training with them on a regular basis in 2010 and is relishing the challenge of stepping up next year.
''It's good training with them during the week, it's good to be able to look up to them blokes,'' he said.
Hogan earns first-grade contract
JOSH ALSTON
August 24th, 2009
http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/images/uploadedfiles/editorial/pictures/2009/08/23/dane-hogan.jpg
Dane Hogan
WHILE the Cowboys under-20s season may be all but over there is a light at the end of the tunnel for captain Dane Hogan - an NRL contract.
The tireless second-rower has been inspirational for the club this season as they came within an inch of a maiden finals appearance after finishing with the wooden spoon last season.
Their season came unravelled in bizarre circumstances in Newcastle on Saturday, where they lost 42-38 in a try-fest where they almost stole the game. After 54 minutes, the Knights had run rampant over the Cowboys with seven tries, handing them a seemingly unassailable 40-10 advantage.
But North Queensland went on a rampage in the final 26 minutes, piling on five tries of their own to come within a whisker of an unlikely victory.
Hogan was happy with the finish, but said they had ultimately shot themselves in the foot in the opening stages when they allowed winger Peter Mata'utia and fullback Johnathon Ford too much room.
''We gave them too much of a lead at the start, we ended up coming home strong at the end but it was too little too late,'' he said.
''We've got a slight chance of making the finals but we're just concentrating on our last two games.''
Hogan has had a stellar season in 2009 after shedding weight and reinventing himself from a prop to a roving lock.
The positional switch has allowed him to post big numbers this year, averaging 110.7m a game and 23 tackles.
His efforts have not gone unrewarded and he will be one of the Cowboys first-grade team's 25 contracted players next season.
''I'm pretty happy I'm up there next year,'' he said.
''I ended up signing a couple of years ago, I was hoping to play good footy this year to keep my contract. It's definitely been a good experience (in the NYC), I think it's brought me closer to the level of NRL, it's brought all the boys a lot closer.''
Hogan credited a lot of his development to players like Luke O'Donnell and Carl Webb who regularly train against the younger crop of Cowboys and are always happy to mentor them.
He is looking forward to training with them on a regular basis in 2010 and is relishing the challenge of stepping up next year.
''It's good training with them during the week, it's good to be able to look up to them blokes,'' he said.