2009 Cowboys

[Talanexor]

Webb: is deadly when he's got his best game on
Tronc: is reliable, but nothing special
O'Donnell: is fast, agile and strong - he's also a a heavily penalised suspension magnet.
Southern: Is excellent, and very very underrated

Manukafoa: Plenty of hype, but his performance for Souths gets an emphatic "meh" from me.
Harris: Solid, but looks MUCH more comfortable at centre

But the others are pretty average, and we've lost Lillyman to the Warriors:

Scott
Bolton
Bartlett
Faust

I think we need more depth in the forwards. At the very least, they need to be whipped into shape. We're going to miss Cashmere.

Backline, halves and hooker are all covered pretty well next year, provided the stocks aren't depleted too much by injury. But the engine room looks a bit fragile to me.

What does everyone think?

 

[Deleted member 10972]

You have lost Rauhihi, Cashmere, Sargent in a short period of time, and it seems Vaeau is on the outer too.

Need a prop.

 

[Pantha-Boy]

The Cowboys Have No Future In The Nrl.
Thurston, Bowen And Odonell Will Have No Impact.
Admit It.
You Will Need A Huge Group Of Players Lifting There Game.
Your Glory Days Are Over.
Might As Well Go For Another Team.

 

[Shorty]

Got anything to contribute to the topic PB?
If you haven't,bye!

On topic though,we've got a few young blokes that just need some hardcore strength and conditioning(which we'll get next year).
Slyney and Bolton just need some off season experience and I reckon they'll be back fresh.

I wouldn't mind getting Costigan...I think he would be handy.

 

[Big Pete]

Since when have the Cowboys relied on big name forwards? During the past 5 or so seasons the Cowboys success has been a result of superb team work and attitude. However I suppose this is a topic solely based on the Cowboys forward and thus I'll try my best to contribute and hopefully enlighten a few while I'm at it.

If I was Neil Henry this would be the look of the forward pack next season.

8. Carl Webb
9. Aaron Payne
10. Matt Scott
11. Steve Southern
12. Luke O'Donnell
13. Ben Harris

14. Clint Amos
15. Dayne Weston
16. Manase Manuokafoa
17. Shane Tronc

While it's fair to say on paper this isn't the best forward pack in the competition I feel they'll be there abouts in terms of the 2009 season. First off let me provide justification for my selections.

First and for most the most important thing to consider about the Cowboys side is the new off-field recruitment in the form of coach Neil Henry and conditioner Billy Johnstone. Both are good at their job and their expertise will play a major factor in the Cowboys success come next season. Thus I selected the players I believe will perform well under the new changes.

Webb and Scott are the best props the Cowboys have on offer and when they're on song their quite easily the two most underated (overated possibly in Webbs case?) props in the NRL.

The Second Row automatically picks itself. Southern provides a lot of grit in defence and energy in attack. O'Donnell is a class player who does anything you want from a backrower. Harris may come as a surprise to some but I have my reasons. Harris for mine is better suited as a modern day backrower and will be able to provide his ball playing skills in the lock position thus creating a new attacking options for the Cowboys. It's quite possibly the most controversial selection of the lot but one I believe if given time would provide the Cowboys with a new level of attacking prowess.

The bench for mine is one that is perfectly suited to the modern game.

Amos is the skillfull hooker/backrower who can create a bit of an impact off the bench.

Weston is/was in superb form this year from what I saw of him and if given time could provide a handful in the backrow.

Manuokafoa is a promising prop forward who could really excell under Henry who turns promising players into big name players. A change of scenary and more responsibility could also be the change he needs to excel.

Tronc provides another option upfront. While he hasn't remained consistent since his superb 04 run I believe he still has those performances in him. He'll be 27 next year, a prime age for any front rower.

Now as for depth I believe the Cowboys have a lot of options.

The NYC has allowed the Cowboys management to acquire the key signings of Achurch and Tamou, two prop forwards who've provided a lot of impact for their respective clubs. While for the Cowboys Maloney stands as the only promising prop forward from the squad however he certainly does get through a ton of work.

To exclimate my point on these three players, here's some stats they may prove exciting to some Cowboys fans.

Achurch
Averages:
8.4 Hit Ups
77m
9.25m per hit up

Tamou
11.6 Hit Ups
113m
9.79m per hit up

Maloney
12.1 Hit Ups
99m
8.22m per hit up

So there you have three promising front rowers.

Other front rowers the Cowboys have available are:

Ben Vaeue
John Frith

The Cowboys have a vast amount of talented hookers in 09. With names such as Watts, Gatis and NYC star Carr I believe the Cowboys are well equipped there.

The Cowboys have an abundance of backrowers just looking to excel their game. Sam Faust, Matthew Bartlett, Daniel Abraham, Nick Slynley, Scott Bolton and Greg Byrnes could prove themselves at any point as more than fringe first graders and provide some depth in the forwards.

So there you go, the Cowboys should be fine when it comes to their forward pack next season. As an opposition supporter this has me extremely nervous considering the Cowboys have an even better backline and should once again feature in the top 8 (possibly 4 if everything goes their way) in 2009.

 

[Asedenburns]

Refreshing to read Big Pete, though I think Frith Abraham and Vaeue will be gone you can add Luke Harlen to that list. Would you run Bolton as a prop or backrower?? he has size.
What do people think of Weston it annoys me that for a big guy he doesnt run yet he gets some wraps here and Milward likes him, whether or not that is a wrap though
btw how big is Maloney haven't seen him

 

[Big Pete]

Is that so? Meh, no real losses in there IMO.

Forgot about Harlen I liked the look of him against the Broncos a few weeks ago.

As for Bolton his future is in the backrow for sure. He has a lot of promise about him Bolton hopefully he's able to develop under Henry and Johnstone.


Here's Shaun Maloney

Date of birth: 7 Mar 1989
Birth place: Sydney
Position: Front Row
Height: 187cm
Weight: 106kg
Junior clubs: Arana Hills
Senior clubs: Western Districts Panthers
Rep honours: Qld U15, Brisbane U16
Career highlight: 2007 season
Other qualifications: Certificate II in Retail
Other interests: Skateboarding

 

[Shorty]

Harris may come as a surprise to some but I have my reasons. Harris for mine is better suited as a modern day backrower and will be able to provide his ball playing skills in the lock position thus creating a new attacking options for the Cowboys. It's quite possibly the most controversial selection of the lot but one I believe if given time would provide the Cowboys with a new level of attacking prowess.

Nah a lot expect Harris to be shifted into the forward pack however I've not seen him play there...he looks pretty comfortable at centre and is very handy there,so it might take him a bit of getting used to.
He'll probably need to do a few heavy weights sessions too,but I'm sure Billy J's got that covered.

Switching Harris from the centres is a bit of a double edged sword because he's a good defensive and supportive centre,which we need because Ash has his deficiencies...
I'm hoping Willie Tonga's off season gets him into some good shape and he's sound defensively.

Refreshing to read Big Pete, though I think Frith Abraham and Vaeue will be gone you can add Luke Harlen to that list. Would you run Bolton as a prop or backrower?? he has size.
What do people think of Weston it annoys me that for a big guy he doesnt run yet he gets some wraps here and Milward likes him, whether or not that is a wrap though
btw how big is Maloney haven't seen him

Like most of our pack,Weston is very on and off.
The thing is,with some good discipline and some hard training hopefully these forwards will turn into full time players.

I don't think we'll miss the guys going,Vaea I wouldn't mind to have kept however as Pete said we do have plenty of forwards in the lower grade and u20s that just need to be conditioned.

As sh*tty as the year is,our defence has looked improved and strong at times and if we can carry that over into the off season we could be very dangerous next year.

 

[Talanexor]

Who is to the left and right of Ash in the defensive line?

 

[Big Pete]

Well it all depends on who Henry selects. If the backline looks like this:

1. Matt Bowen
2. Mark Henry
3. Ash Graham
4. Willie Tonga
5. John Williams
6. Travis Burns
7. Johnathan Thurston

Which is likely, then he'd have Henry and Thurston perhaps? Which certainly doesn't help Grahams cause (unless Henry is a defensive dynamo?).

Either way what Graham lacks in defence I think it's fair to say he certainly makes up for it in attack. He was showing a lot of promise in 2007 and personally for him and for Queenslands depth I hope he's able to improve on that.

Either way if Graham doesn't work out, there's certainly a lot of options available for the Cowboys so there isn't anything to worry about there.

Vaeau is something of a loss but from what I've seen of him he's only got limited potential in first grade. Watching him play in the Queensland Cup he used to absolutely kill it but was unable to bring that form into first grade. A shame but he's not getting any younger (Believe he's late 20's) and the Cowboys would be better off blooding some of their younger talent.

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

Hey guys

Don't know if you've heard but the Cowboys have signed Steve Rapira (Younger brother of Sam). If any of you saw the Warriors V Sharks U20's match he was the bald guy cutting the Sharks forwards in half on defence. He's an absolute beast on defence and could be a great pick up.

 

[Shorty]

If he's anything like his brother,I'm pleased!

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

If he's anything like his brother,I'm pleased!

There are quite a few who believe he's better than Sam. Been dogged by injuries, only playing a handful of games in 2 years before this year, but he's come back strongly.

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

Steve Rapira will demolish the opposition and i'm gonna try my best to stay brave once he plays against us (warriors) a very good signing for the cowboys.

P.S The warriors kept his brother sam till 2012, something tells me that we took the wrong brother

 

[elyod138]

We just signed Kaufusi too.

 

[Desert Qlder]

Kaufusi could end up being the best signing of 2009. Good job.

 

[mean_maori_mean]

Dont be suprised if in the next few weeks the Cowboys sign some more polynesian forwards to compliment Manukofoa, Tamou, Kaufusi and Rapira.

 

[Shorty]

Just saw that we got Kaufusi(too much attention in the Olympics forum).
I'm chuffed with that,I really like Kaufusi and thought he was one of Melbourne's best last year.
And he's still young.

 

[Big Pete]

Just saw that we got Kaufusi(too much attention in the Olympics forum).
I'm chuffed with that,I really like Kaufusi and thought he was one of Melbourne's best last year.
And he's still young.

Not to nit pick Shorty but I think you're refering to 2006 considering Kafusi suffered a season ending injury during the first State of Origin game in 2007.

But with that said I hope it turns out to be a great signing for the Cowboys. Kafusi at his absolute best is a beast and it's that sort of form Queensland needs heading into next year's origin series.

With that said I believe the forwards will look like:

8. Carl Webb
9. Aaron Payne
10. Mat Scott
11. Steve Southern
12. Luke O'Donnell
13. Ben Harris

14. Clint Amos
15. Antonio Kafusi
16. Manase Monuokafoa
17. Shane Tronc

As you can see an extremely big bench but one that should grind out a lot of metres and provide the likes of Payne, Thurston and Bowen the platform to weave their magic.

 

[EvolutionUber]

Not to nit pick Shorty but I think you're refering to 2006 considering Kafusi suffered a season ending injury during the first State of Origin game in 2007.

But with that said I hope it turns out to be a great signing for the Cowboys. Kafusi at his absolute best is a beast and it's that sort of form Queensland needs heading into next year's origin series.

With that said I believe the forwards will look like:

8. Carl Webb
9. Aaron Payne
10. Mat Scott
11. Steve Southern
12. Luke O'Donnell
13. Ben Harris

14. Clint Amos
15. Antonio Kafusi
16. Manase Monuokafoa
17. Shane Tronc

As you can see an extremely big bench but one that should grind out a lot of metres and provide the likes of Payne, Thurston and Bowen the platform to weave their magic.

Personally I rate Watts over Amos