Finals Week 1: North Queensland Cowboys vs Bulldogs

[jenny]

Retiring veterans fire up Cowboys

September 4, 2007 - 6:26PM

They may deny they are a two-man team, but the North Queensland Cowboys are concentrating on one duo as they plan their NRL finals assault - retiring veterans Paul Bowman and Jason Smith.

The Cowboys laughed off Bulldogs forward Willie Mason's claim last week that North Queensland would be nothing without skipper Johnathan Thurston and livewire Matt Bowen.

But North Queensland's thoughts are preoccupied by another pair - Bowman and Smith - before their re-match against the Bulldogs in their NRL qualifying final at Townsville on Saturday night.

The Cowboys have broken rugby league's unwritten law and made it abundantly clear they will be vying for premiership glory to send foundation player Bowman and former Test utility Smith out winners.

Thurston and Bowen knocked back the chance to rest in order to run out for Bowman's 200th game last Friday against the Bulldogs.

Bowman - the last Cowboys player standing since the club's 1995 inception - is held in such high regard that North Queensland's best and fairest medal will be renamed in his honour from this year.

"Bear (Bowman) has been the heart and soul of the Cowboys for many years, he's been there from the start," Cowboys winger Ty Williams said.

"If you want to win something you would want to win it for him. He's a special man, not only to the team but to North Queensland in general."

At 35, Smith is the oldest player running around in the 2007 NRL competition and will draw the curtain on a career that began way back in 1990 after the finals.

"It would be awesome if we could send them off on the best note being a grand final win," Cowboys strike weapon Ash Graham said.

"With those two nearing retirement, every game you can run out with them is an awesome feeling."

The Cowboys were more amused than anything by Mason's taunt last week and would not be surprised if the Test forward's tongue began wagging again before their finals showdown.

"Look, he's always good to say something. He's always got something to say," laughed Williams, a member of the Cowboys' surge to the 2005 grand final.

"But it really doesn't effect us. I think the supporters gave him more than we did (last Friday)."

Graham expected the crowd to be a major factor on Saturday night - and no wonder.

Supporters camped out overnight to queue for tickets that went on sale to the public on Tuesday, with one elderly couple sleeping in their vehicle at Dairy Farmers Stadium car park to ensure they attended the NRL qualifying final.

More than 20,000 tickets were snapped up on Tuesday with just over 5,000 left for the big game.

"We have awesome crowd support, I'm sure it's a daunting feeling for the opposition," said Graham, who moved from the Eels to North Queensland last season.

"There's people camping out for tickets, there's a real buzz around the place - I haven't seen anything like it before."

With the euphoria already building up in Townsville, it will be hard for the Cowboys to continue flying "under the radar".

Despite the Cowboys finishing the regular season outright third, North Queensland boss Peter Parr still believes no one took much notice of their progress thanks to the heroics of former easybeats South Sydney.

"We flew under the radar a bit. It might have been due to the euphoria over Souths make the first time in a long time," Parr said.

Cowboys coach Graham Murray has named an 18-man squad with Neil Sweeney added to the team that ran out 38-32 winners over the Bulldogs.

? 2007 AAP

[Cowboy Titan]

We got our tickets today. We're going for a long drive on Friday with 7 people and hopefully a happy trip home on Sunday.

[jenny]

We got our tickets today. We're going for a long drive on Friday with 7 people and hopefully a happy trip home on Sunday.

Excellent CT
Have a great time and stay safe

[Cowboy Titan]

Thanks Jen. Hopefully it's the first of a few road trips over the next few weeks.

[Ryan]

We got our tickets today. We're going for a long drive on Friday with 7 people and hopefully a happy trip home on Sunday.

From Gold Coast to Townsville?
I hope you all like each other - ALOT!
I'm guessing 18hrs+ ?
And back again on the same weekend.......
I admire your dedication

[Cowboy Titan]

The best I've done is 15 hours.

[jenny]

Williams charge downgraded

By Steve Jancetic
September 05, 2007

BULLDOGS star Sonny Bill Williams may yet play a part in the Bulldogs finals campaign after having his striking charge downgraded at the NRL judiciary.

Williams made the trip to NRL headquarters seeking a downgrade on his grade two striking charge following his late and high tackle on North Queensland skipper Johnathan Thurston on Friday night.

The judiciary panel of Royce Ayliffe, Bob Lindner and Darrell Williams agreed with Williams' assertion that his forearm hit Thurston on the shoulder before coming into contact with the Test halfback's jaw.

The downgrade, to a grade one offence, means Williams will miss only one match, this Saturday's qualifying final with the Cowboys in Townsville.

If the Bulldogs win or are not amongst the two lowest ranked losers from the weekend finals, their campaign stays alive.

"I'm really stoked with the outcome, I'm pumped actually," Williams said. "I wish the boys all the best this week and I'll be raring to go next week.

"This time of the year you don't want to be missing too many games, so we decided to run the gauntlet and we came up trumps."

Williams, who was represented by former judiciary chairman Jim Hall, was adamant that the force with which he came into contact with Thurston's head was minimal.

During the hearing, Williams admitted the tackle was reckless, but also claimed he tried to pull out of making full impact when he realised that Thurston had already kicked the ball.

"I didn't go in to the tackle to hurt him," Williams said during the hearing.

"If I'd hit him flush, I'm pretty sure I would have knocked him out or broken his jaw. I thought I could get him before he kicked the ball.

"I remember thinking just as I was going to get him that I was going to get his shoulder."

Had Williams been unsuccessful tonight, he would have been suspended for three matches, meaning the Bulldogs would have needed to make the grand final for him to play again this season.

AAP

[PROMETHEUS]

Go Cows!

[jenny]

'No frills' Cowboys pack the key: Norton

September 6, 2007 - 12:30PM

The man who once inspired the Cowboys forwards is still amazed that North Queensland's "thrown together" pack have helped the NRL club earn a home final for the first time.

But ex-Cowboys skipper and lock Travis Norton does not believe North Queensland's no names will suffer stage fright on finals debut against the heavyweight Bulldogs at Townsville on Saturday night.

North Queensland have been described as a "two man team" with captain Johnathan Thurston and fullback Matt Bowen dominating the headlines as the Cowboys rode into the finals in outright third.

But Norton said credit must go to the men who picked up the pieces after the Cowboys pack was decimated by suspension and injuries.

The unlikely heroes are a part-time carpenter, a former frustrated Melbourne player and a man who was initially told by the Cowboys his services were no longer needed.

Unheralded Sam Faust and Neil Henry were this week rewarded with one year contract extensions after stepping up along with Matt Bartlett in the absence of North Queensland's star forwards.

"Every team has their superstars, and the Cowboys know how good Matty (Bowen) and Johnno (Thurston) are," Norton told AAP.

"But one of the reasons that Matty and Johnno are given so much room is because of how well their backrow is performing.

"When you've got four out of your starting five out of the pack missing for the rest of the year, it makes it pretty tough - but the inexperienced blokes are stepping up and doing a great job."

Test lock Luke O'Donnell (hamstring), former Kiwi backrower Sione Faumuina (suspension), Steve Southern (knee) and Shane Tronc (knee) have been helpless onlookers while the Cowboys have been riding high.

On paper, Saturday night's qualifying final looks like a David versus Goliath forwards battle with Faust, Bartlett and Henry lining up against the Bulldogs' international backrow of Willie Mason, Andrew Ryan and Reni Maitua.

And the trio's background doesn't exactly discourage the cynics.

Secondrower Faust, 22, works part-time as a carpenter.

Centre-turned-lock Henry, 26, was initially told by the club he was free to explore his options.

And backrower Bartlett, 23, began the season trying to crack the Melbourne 17 before a mid-season transfer to Townsville.

Norton admits he is pleasantly surprised that the Cowboys pack has held together so well for so long without their big names.

"Usually there is just one or two young guys who are brought in at one time when there are injuries or suspensions," Norton said.

"But this pack - besides (Carl) Webb and (hooker Aaron) Payne - have been thrown together and they are accepting every challenge.

"These guys have shown they are definitely not fringe players but players of the future."

Critics are expecting the Cowboys unknowns to hit the wall in the finals.

But Norton - who retired last season following grand final appearances with the Bulldogs (1998) and Cowboys (2005) - dismissed the theory that finals experience must be needed for finals success.

"It's a myth. Experience isn't the be all and end all. It's about how willing you are to put your body on the line, and how committed you are in the semi-finals - I'm sure they've got that covered," he said.

? 2007 AAP

[vanilla]

Well Mason second row is gonna be a true test for our second row.
Faust has been very good so far this season, him and Lillyman need to really step up plenty to try to stop Masons damaging runs. And ffs stop giving Bowen so many players to have to tackle, friggin tighten up in defence.
Really need someone like Rauhihi
Wish we didnt let him go.

shut up paddy the cowboys suck and they are going to choke just like the crusders in cricsim

[nflin3]

shut up paddy the cowboys suck and they are going to choke just like the crusders in cricsim

LOL you suck dude.

WTF is cricsim?

[jenny]

LOL you suck dude.

WTF is cricsim?

[SuperCliffy#01]

LOL you suck dude.

WTF is cricsim?

That is Mumblese for "I Have No Clue", which is remarkable, Peter Andre has no clue he/she/it is a pox on this forum site, it goes to show that brothers and sisters should refrain from sex with each other.

[Poida]

LOL you suck dude.

WTF is cricsim?

Its a forum where people take part in teams and the games get simulated.
He obviously knows Im part of that site.

[nflin3]

MATTY BOWEN

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