North Queensland Cowboys 2016 season in review

Once again a NRL premier failed to defend their title. However, there was no championship hangover for the North Queensland Cowboys to begin the season.

Premiership points added up quickly as they started with seven wins from the first nine rounds, which is exactly what they needed as the representative fixtures added to the workload of the Cowboys best players immediately following round nine. From round 10 to the end of the regular season the Cowboys won eight matches and lost seven.

When the North Queensland Cowboys entered the finals they were poised to be major players for a second consecutive grand final win. By nudging out the Brisbane Broncos of the top four based on for-and-against, the last team to have won back-to-back titles in 1997-98, North Queensland's chances to repeat were high as no NRL team in the modern era has won the competition from outside the top four.

The Cowboys had to play the Melbourne Storm at AAMI Park in week one of the finals. Having defeated the Melbourne Storm in the 2015 preliminary final 32-12 at AAMI Park, the Cowboys faced a team fixated on revenge and the 16-10 loss took North Queensland home to a grand final rematch with the Broncos. There were concerns for the Cowboys as Ethan Lowe, Antonio Winterstein and Kane Linnett we're sidelined with injuries picked up from the Melbourne game. The replacements Coen Hess, Javid Bowen and NRL debutant Kalyn Ponga were key to the 26-20 extra time win over their state rivals. Jason Taumalolo ran a ridiculous 265 metres and Johnathan Thurston set up the match winning try for Michael Morgan.

The 90 minutes against Brisbane looked to have the Cowboys drained when they faced the Cronulla Sharks a week later. Having fallen 32-6 behind by the 65th minute, 55 missed tackles and errors at critical moments in the match closed their season.

Turning Point

Round 24 - North Queensland Cowboys 34 v New Zealand Warriors 6 at 1300SMILES Stadium

Before this match the Cowboys were on a three game losing streak, and prior to this streak they hadn't lost any consecutive matches during the season. The attack was stalling, Thurston was injured and in a form slump. The defence in the wins by the Wests Tigers (26-14) and the Sydney Roosters (22-10) knocked North Queensland around. For this round 24 clash, the New Zealand Warriors were pushing to qualify for finals football but Thurston and the Cowboys put on a dominating performance which showed the league they are capable of defending their title. 

What worked

Continuity of the round-to-round line-up. Injuries hardly seemed to affect North Queensland this season. All 17 players from the Cowboys 2015 NRL grand final winning side played at least 21 games or more for North Queensland this season. This is staggering. Their luck ran out when Lowe, Winterstein and Linnett were all injured in week one of the finals and couldn't return for the rest of their finals series.

What didn't work

Their positing on the ladder leading into the finals. In week one they had as mentioned earlier a Melbourne Storm side who spent all offseason bitter about the blowout loss at home in the preliminary final. The Storm used the summer to restructure their play to becoming a team to beat the Cowboys. In week two North Queensland toiled through 90 minutes of a gruelling grand final replay. In week three the Sharks had the 39-0 2015 finals series loss to the Cowboys needing to be avenged, and they did that with a full Allianz Stadium supporting them.

Best Players

Jason Taumalolo

Taumalolo, the Rugby League Players Association 2016 Champion of the year, the tied 2016 Dally M Medallist with Cooper Cronk and back-to-back Dally M Lock of the year has established himself as a serious candidate for the best current forward in the world. He and New Zealand teammate Jesse Bromwich, who won the 2016 Dally M Prop of the year, are in a class of their own. 

Johnathan Thurston

Thurston's 2015 campaign was one of the best individual seasons anyone in the history of the NRL could achieve. In 2016 he wasn't able to match that level of performance, but he wasn't too far off the pace in what was another stellar season for the 33-year-old. 

Disappointing Players

Lachlan Coote

Coote had a great regular season. It was in the finals series, when the games matter most, where he was disappointing. I'm not breaking new ground, every Cowboys fan reading this will be recalling the many handling errors Coote made under the high ball, clutching at a loose ball or the mistakes fielding grubber kicks. Unfortunately for Coote it all showed during the finals, but he's a premiership winning fullback who is capable of making North Queensland the premiers again in 2017.

Lower Grades

Holden Cup Under 20's

The Cowboys Holden Cup U20s were a dominant force with Kalyn Ponga leading the way. They finished second on the ladder and played the ladder leading Penrith Panthers in a preliminary final. Ponga returned to the team for the final but the Panthers won 32-16.

Intrust Super Cup QLD

In the QLD Intrust Super Cup the Cowboys had three sides, the Townsville Blackhawks (3rd), Northern Pride (8th) and the Mackay Cutters (14th). The Blackhawks progressed to the second week of the finals and were eliminated by the fifth placed Sunshine Coast Falcons, with the other two sides failing to fire and falling outside the Top Six - including a last-placed finish for the Cutters.

2017 Chances

With Coote, Linnett, Lowe, Winterstein, Bowen, Justin O'Neill and Ben Hannant all re-signing this season it keeps a NRL champion calibre side mostly together for another run at the title in 2017. Many of them had to sacrifice larger contract offers from elsewhere to stay and the backline now oozes talent. Winterstein, Linnett, Ponga, O'Neill, Bowen and Kyle Feldt have all proven they are worthy of a starting positing in the NRL. How can these players fit into the two centre and wing positions available? The forwards lose some strike with James Tamou Penrith Panthers bound, but there's experience and promising young players to fill the void. The Cowboys are competing for another championship next season and they should finish top three on the ladder.

Best Line Up for 2017

Based on Current Signings

1. Lachlan Coote
2. Antonio Winterstein
3. Justin O'Neill
4. Kalyn Ponga
5. Kyle Feldt
6. Michael Morgan
7. Johnathan Thurston
8. Matt Scott
9. Jake Granville
10. Scott Bolton
11. Gavin Cooper
12. Ethan Lowe
13. Jason Taumalolo

14. John Asiata
15. Coen Hess
16. Ben Hannant
17. Kane Linnett
18. Javid Bowen