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The North Queensland Cowboys were widely tipped to be a premiership contender in 2023 despite losing Tom Gilbert and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to the Dolphins. The Cowboys lost five of their last six matches in 2023, slipping from as high as 7th on the ladder to finish outside of finals contention.
This season Jake Clifford has returned from England to bolster the halves, Viliami Vailea has been signed for the outside backs, and Luciano Leilua has been released by the club to pave way for up-and-coming second-rowers Heilum Luki and Kulikefu Finefeuiaki. But, will that be enough for coach Todd Payten and his Cowboys to play finals football again?
See what Australia’s best NRL bookmakers are saying about their prospects going forward.
Established: | 1992 |
---|---|
Home ground: | Queensland Country Bank Stadium |
Coach: | Todd Payten |
Captains: | Tom Dearden & Reuben Cotter |
Premierships: | One – 2015 |
2023 ladder finish: | 3rd (17-7) |
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2024 Premiership | To Make Grand Final | |
---|---|---|
Odds @ BetOnline | $19 | $7 |
There are dozens of NRL futures markets for North Queensland, but where are they likely to return some real value?
Click on the tabs below to get more analysis on these markets:
Round | Opponent | Venue | Date | Time (NSW) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Dolphins | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | Sunday, March 10 | 4:05pm |
2 | Newcastle Knights | Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville | Saturday, March 16 | 5:30pm |
3 | St George Illawarra Dragons | Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Sydney | Saturday, March 23 | 5:30pm |
4 | Brisbane Broncos | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | Friday, March 29 | 8:05pm |
5 | Gold Coast Titans | Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville | Sunday, April 7 | 4:05pm |
6 | Parramatta Eels | CommBank Stadium, Sydney | Saturday, April 13 | 5:30pm |
7 | Cronulla Sharks | PointsBet Stadium, Sydney | Sunday, April 21 | 4:05pm |
8 | Penrith Panthers | Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville | Saturday, April 27 | 7:35pm |
9 | Dolphins | Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville | Saturday, May 4 | 7:35pm |
10 | Gold Coast Titans | Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast | Sunday, May 12 | 4:05pm |
11 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | Saturday, May 18 | 7:45pm |
12 | Wests Tigers | Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville | Friday, May 24 | 6:00pm |
13 | Sydney Roosters | Allianz Stadium, Sydney | Sunday, June 2 | 4:05pm |
14 | New Zealand Warriors | Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville | Saturday, June 8 | 5:30pm |
15 | Canberra Raiders | GIO Stadium, Canberra | Friday, June 14 | 6:00pm |
16 | BYE | – | – | – |
17 | Penrith Panthers | BlueBet Stadium, Penrith | Sunday, June 30 | 4:05pm |
18 | Manly Sea Eagles | Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville | Saturday, July 6 | 7:35pm |
19 | BYE | – | – | – |
20 | Canterbury Bulldogs | Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville | Sunday, July 21 | 6:15pm |
21 | Cronulla Sharks | Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville | Saturday, July 27 | 5:30pm |
22 | Wests Tigers | Leichhardt Oval, Sydney | Thursday, August 1 | 7:50pm |
23 | Brisbane Broncos | Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville | Saturday, August 10 | 5:30pm |
24 | Canberra Raiders | Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville | Saturday, August 17 | 5:30pm |
25 | BYE | – | – | – |
26 | Melbourne Storm | Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville | Thursday, August 29 | 7:50pm |
27 | Canterbury Bulldogs | Accor Stadium, Sydney | Saturday, September 7 | 5:30pm |
Born: 15/5/1997
Games: 94
Tries: 33
Position: Fullback
Scott Drinkwater had an incredible 2023 season for the Cowboys, which earned him a call-up to the New South Wales Blues State of Origin squad. Despite being sent off in his second game of the season against the Broncos last year, he bounced back to be the leader of the Cowboys in attack. In 2024 Drinkwater will need to become a more consistent threat in the NRL as fellow fullbacks Kalyn Ponga and Reece Walsh have done to make the Cowboys a premiership threat again.
Born: 28/12/1998
Games: 59
Tries: 6
Position: Prop
Reuben Cotter has exploded in the NRL over the last two years, earning the job of co-captain like Cowboys and Queensland Maroons greats Johnathon Thurston and Matt Scott have done before him. This season will be a test for Cotter’s ability to shoulder the responsibility of leadership at the club while also playing with the incredible toughness he has.
Born: 31/5/1993
Games: 252
Tries: 38
Position: Lock
Jason Taumalolo has been an incredible player for the Cowboys since his debut in 2010. This season he appears to have the simplified front-row job at the Cowboys which will allow him to focus on being the damaging forward everyone knows he is. Taumalolo’s biggest test will be performing at a high level and being consistent as he moves into the back end of his career. The knowledge he can pass on to his fellow forwards will be immeasurable for their development.
Those were tumultuous years for even the most established Sydney clubs, let alone a rag-tag pack of underdogs from the tropical north. The Cowboys went through no fewer than eight captains in their first two seasons as they struggled for stability both on and off the field. Whereas some clubs (read Melbourne Storm) took to the NRL like ducks to water, it was not until 2004 that North Queensland managed to qualify for finals.
That upward trend continued with the landmark signing of Johnathan Thurston in 2005. JT won his first Dally M that season as the Cowboys reached their first NRL Grand Final, where they lost to Wests Tigers. A run to the prelims followed in 2007 before a series of injury woes and off-field dramas saw them slide back to the bottom end of the table in 2008.
The debut of 17-year-old Jason Taumalolo in 2010 heralded the dawn of a new era for the Cowboys. They improved steadily over the coming years, becoming a fixture in the top eight and breaking through with a maiden premiership in 2015.
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