Cowboys coach declares 'it's not changing' after new halves pairing fails to fire in loss
Cowboys coach Todd Payten has defiantly stated he won't be changing up his halves pairing after a disappointing loss to Manly.
Payten made the call to drop Jake Clifford from the side and move to the future with Tom Dearden at halfback and Jaxon Purdue in the No.6.
Zac Laybutt's return from injury at centre added another layer to the move.
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Despite the Cowboys going down 24-6 at home, Payten wasn't going to place any blame on the change that was made.
"They'll both be better for the run," he said post-match.
Todd Payten during his press conference. NRL
"Did I ever think it was going to be 10 out of 10 first week in? But I'm absolutely certain that this kid is the future of our club in the halves and Zac Laybutt has had 12 months off since an ACL and he's only going to get better, so it's not changing."
While the future of the club is understandable, what's caused confusion is the fact Origin is around the corner and Dearden is likely to be playing for the Maroons.
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This will bring Clifford back into the equation, with the half 18th man for that match.
Payten wasn't asked about how his team will lineup if Dearden is picked but forecasted five players will play Origin. Dearden, Murray Taulagi, Purdue, Reece Robson and Jeremiah Nanai are the players in contention.
Cowboys skipper Dearden anticipates his combination with Purdue will become better over time.
Jaxon Purdue attempts to evade Ethan Bullemor. Getty
"I think my role's pretty simple," Dearden said.
"I'm just getting the team around the park. I think the combination with Jacko (Purdue) will certainly grow and I thought he was strong tonight and I think the more reps we get in at training and the more games we get together, the better the combination's going to be, so it's just about building on that.
"He's a freak of a player and I think he's got such great footy instincts and I think that's what excites you about playing alongside a player like that.
"And when he gets comfortable in that role, he hasn't played in the halves in a couple of years, so once he gets back to knowing what he can do, it's very exciting for the future."
