Cowboys v Storm - Teams & Match Officials (Round 3)

[Granty]

2006 Telstra Premiership: Round 3

Date: 25th of March 2006
Kick Off: 7.30pm
Location: Dairy Farmers Stadium


NQ Cowboys
http://www.cowboys.com.au/images/teams/cowboys_l.gif

Run On Team

1. Matthew Bowen
2. Neil Sweeney
3. Ty Williams
4. Paul Bowman
5. Matthew Sing
6. Johnathan Thurston (VC)
7. Brett Firman
8. Shane Tronc
9. Aaron Payne
10. Matthew Scott
11. Jacob Lillyman
12. Luke O'Donnell
13. Travis Norton (C)

Interchange

14. David Faiumu <-- reported will miss the game due to injury
15. Steve Southern
16. Justin Smith
17. Mitchell Sargent
18. Clint Amos
21. Carl Webb


Melbourne Storm
http://www.cowboys.com.au/images/teams/storm_l.gif

Run On Team

1. Billy Slater
2. Matt Geyer
3. Matt King <-- reported will miss the game due to illness
4. Greg Inglis
5. Jake Webster
6. Scott Hill
7. Cooper Cronk
8. Garret Crossman
9. Cameron Smith
10. Antonio Kaufusi
11. David Kidwell
12. Ryan Hoffman
13. Dallas Johnson

Interchange

14. Brett White
15. Jamie Feeney
16. Ian Donnelly
17. Steve Turner
18. Jeremy Smith <-- suspended via the QLD Cup
19. Chris Walker


Match Officials

Referee: Russell Smith
Sideline Officials: Rod Lawrence, Tony De Las Heras
Video Referee: Graeme West

[Thommo]

Nice squad, but I was kinda hoping BB would get a shot instead of Sweeney.Good to see the injured are ok though and hopefully Charlie will get the nod too.

[Granty]

Well, the injured are ok enought to not be ruled out on a Tuesday.

Whether they make it through Friday/Saturday training/fitness tests is another thing :confused:.

I'm hopeing they all get through that ok, but I'm not expecting it :(.

[RobsGT4]

Heard on the radio this mornin that Bowen, Bowman, Sing and Payne have all been cleared to play Saturday night.

Thoughts on Webby, maybe Muzza is keeping him out for this game so the storm dont get a chance to stir Webby up again....

[brainofmike]

Two good looking squads, with some good match ups in there. Should be a tough match. Go the Cowboys

[althepcman]

I thought Aron Payne would have been rested, but I have been proven wrong.
AH well, Go COWBOYS
I hope to make this weekend. If not good luck to the boys.

[Jordan]

I don't think we could afford to rest Payne... We're so evenly matched with the Storm, I think we really need him out there.

[leesee]

are you the prolific (sp) spammer from the kennel?

[althepcman]

I don't think we could afford to rest Payne... We're so evenly matched with the Storm, I think we really need him out there.
True, but no sense in bring back players before there fit, it could do more harm then good, but if the Doc says Payney is ok to play, I will trust in his judgement.

[Billybob]

how lost did the cows look without payne

and to make it worse they didnt have faiumu there to cover for him
the other fella did ok but you could tell they were lost without payne and daves leadership around the ruck

[Granty]

how lost did the cows look without payne

and to make it worse they didnt have faiumu there to cover for him
the other fella did ok but you could tell they were lost without payne and daves leadership around the ruck

They lost Payne mid-way through the first half but still scored 2 more tries.

When the other injuries (Norton & Sing) reduced the Cowboys to 14 players, thats when the attack really seemed to drop away (I suspect the extra work in defence being shared between 14 players instead of 17 might have something to do with it).

Yes, the Cowboys seemed to bee a lot less dangerous around the ruck without Payne, but to me it was the reduction to 14 players that had more of an effect.

[Granty]

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,18569307%255E14823,00.html

King could miss Cowboys

Karl deKroo
23mar06

WHAT had seemed an innocuous ear infection is set to ground star Melbourne Storm centre Matt King for a second consecutive week.

King missed Sunday's victory over the Sydney Roosters with the ear infection and, after visiting a specialist last night, Storm medical staff will decide this morning whether to give the Test speedster clearance to travel to Townsville for tomorrow night's game against the Cowboys.
"The ear is getting better all the time," Storm physiotherapist Mary Toomey said.

"But it is a bit of a race against the clock and we'll just have to make a final decision tomorrow. At the moment he is looking a bit unlikely to go."

If King is out coach Craig Bellamy is likely to again shift Kiwi Test winger Jake Webster to the centres, with Steve Turner to start on the wing.

Former Roosters outside back Chris Walker will be in the travelling squad and may be considered a bench option.

But in the tropical Queensland conditions Bellamy will be tempted to go with a four-forward interchange.

Unbeaten North Queensland also has injury concerns with hooker Aaron Payne (shoulder), winger Matt Sing (back), centre Paul Bowman (back) and reserve hooker David Faiumu (groin) in doubt.

Saturday's match will be dedicated to those affected by Cyclone Larry which ravaged Innisfail on Monday, destroying property and ruining banana crops.

Storm fullback Billy Slater, who hails from Innisfail, yesterday launched his own appeal.

"I'm from Innisfail, and there's people there with no houses or no jobs," Slater said.

"If I can help out in any way and give them a bit of a kick-start, I'd like to do that."

Those wishing to donate to the appeal should access the Storm website and follow the links.

Slater's family home escaped serious damage, but he said it would take years for the banana industry to recover.

"(Innisfail) needs people to work on banana farms, to pack and de-leaf them and things like that," Slater said.

"Those people won't have a tree now that'll bear fruit for nine or 10 months, so I'd like to help them out."

[RobsGT4]

I have heard a little rumour that Aaron Payne is out, it is to be anounced on the news tonight...

[Stido]

I have heard a little rumour that Aaron Payne is out, it is to be anounced on the news tonight...

Same little birdie flew down this way RobsGT4. I just hope it was a Liar Bird.:mad:

[Cowboys2006]

any word yet on payne Bowmen or sing ????? i need ot know for my fantasy league

[Jordan]

According to Ramit...

Clint Amos trained at hooker for the Cowboys.
Aaron Payne is only a 50/50 chance of playing.
Bowman and Sing have been passed fit to play.

[Jordan]

yeah

[elyod138]

Lol, get off Jordan's account Reece.

[Ramit]

Clint Amos trained at hooker for the Cowboys.
Aaron Payne is only a 50/50 chance of playing.
Bowman and Sing have been passed fit to play.
Good to hear.

[#CowboyDavid]

Cowboys coach Graham Murray has brought back Queensland State of Origin representative Carl Webb for the game, naming him on the bench to replace the injured David Faiumu.

It's Webb's first game in first grade for the season, having spent the opening two weeks playing for the Cowboys' Young Guns side in the Queensland Cup in a bid to regain some form.

[Granty]

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,18591849%255E11088,00.html

Suspension snag strikes Storm

Karl deKroo
25mar06

MELBOURNE Storm's hopes of upsetting North Queensland in Townsville tonight have been dealt a body blow with forward Jeremy Smith suspended for fighting in the Queensland Cup.

Smith had travelled to Townsville with Storm and was set to earn a bench place following Matt King's withdrawal with an ear infection.

But the hard-hitting forward learned yesterday that he was ineligible to play after he was suspended for striking during a match for Storm feeder club Norths Devils last weekend.

Storm coach Craig Bellamy will decide this morning whether to replace Smith with another forward or gamble on bringing outside back Chris Walker on to his interchange.

"It's a tough call," Bellamy said. "In a way, in the hot conditions you'd love to take four forwards on to the bench, but if you get an injury in the backline then you can find yourself in trouble.

"Walker has been playing well in Sydney for us so he probably deserves a chance soon. But whether it will be in this game, I'm not sure."

The Devils are in Townsville for tonight's curtain-raiser, and Bellamy has placed rookie forwards Adam Blair, Matthew Bartlett and Anthony Boyd on standby.

The Cowboys, also unbeaten this season, have injury concerns with winger Matt Sing and hooker Aaron Payne expected to be ruled out today.

Fiery Cowboys forward Carl Webb could be called up for his first top-grade appearance since being suspended for punching Storm back-rower Ryan Hoffman in the final round last year.

The Queensland State-of-Origin forward was suspended for six matches, missing the Cowboys' finals campaign -- including its grand final loss to Wests Tigers.

The suspension led to hostility between Melbourne and North Queensland when the Cowboys knocked Storm out at semi-final stage.

Webb played the first two rounds for the Cowboys' Queensland Cup team.

[althepcman]

I couldn't get tickets to the game, but looking at the score line, it must have been a ripper. :)

Good on the Boys

[TonyP]

I couldn't get tickets to the game, but looking o\at the score line, it must have been a ripper. :)

Good on the Boys

Wasn't anything too exciting, althepcman. Too many injuries once again, for the game to raise to any great heights, but you'd rather win then loose.ckets

How come you couldn't get tickets? There was only 21,000 there. You can buy tickets at the gate.

[althepcman]

I heard it was sold out on friday and that was when I was going to get tickets.
Maybe I heard wrong, but thats what they were saying on the radio.
Damn, ah well two away games before the next one.

[Granty]

Only one away game (Rnd 4 v Parramatta - Friday Night game 31 March) before the next home game which is a Friday night game (Rnd 5 v Wests Tigers 7 April).