If ever a team needed a magic spell cast on them this weekend, it’s the Cowboys as they hope to turn their fortunes around after a 3-6 start that is worlds away from their 2023 form.
North Queensland centre Valentine Holmes knows their Magic Round clash with the red-hot Roosters on Sunday looms as a must-win if the Cowboys are to get back on track.
Todd Payten's men can only hope the atmosphere and excitement of the NRL's annual festival of football can ignite a new beginning to what's been a lacklustre start to the year after finishing one game shy of a grand final last season.
“Last week we spoke about our season and really needing to start turning things around,” Holmes told NRL.com.
“We just snuck away with a win against the Knights but then we were never really in it with the Sharks.
It’s Round 10 now and we’re over a quarter of a way into the season so this week we really need to start turning up.
Valentine Holmes Cowboys centre
“Especially avoiding any more big losses, the for and against is going to hurt at the back end of the season.”
With Chad Townsend in doubt after the halfback was rested from training on Tuesday, an ACL injury confirmed for rookie Tom Chester and forward Jeremiah Nanai suspended for four weeks, the task gets no easier for the Cowboys this week.
But the representative centre said the 2022 preliminary finalists know what they’re capable of achieving and have not yet given up on recapturing the premiership potential we saw last season.
Magic Round moments: One hell of a first NRL try
“That’s the plan, to get back to that. We all know what we did last year and what we need to do so hopefully we can get back to that form,” Holmes said.
“Obviously injuries don’t help and we've been missing a lot of experience out there but the guys that fill in, they know how to play and they know how to do their role.
“I think we’ve just had too many silly, stupid errors. Having guys sent off and put in the bin, you’re never going to win games like that.
“Roosters are going to be a similar side to the Sharks, they’ve got a big forward pack and some quality outside backs so we’ve got another big game on our hands.
“But Magic Round is a game where anything can happen and we had a few good moments there last year.”
Meanwhile, veteran winger Kyle Feldt said it was “back to basics” in defence at Tuesday’s training session with the Cowboys now racking more missed tackles than any other team this season (338).
Feldt with an almighty fend
“That’s really something Todd is driving this week is going back to basics," Feldt told the media on Tuesday.
“The Roosters are a really big pack and a well-organised outfit so one thing we need to do is run hard and tackle harder. It’s just the fundamentals of rugby league we’re focusing on these days.
“Dean Young our assistant coach said, ‘you can’t turn a bad team overnight’, I don’t know what’s happened but we’re training really hard and we’re really trying to fight our way out of this slump...we’re not rolling over yet.”
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