Departing star’s grim admission about glaring Cowboys flaw
Cowboys fullback Scott Drinkwater has admitted the side’s issues in defence have plagued them for years.
Under coach Todd Payten, this will be the third time in five years the Cowboys have played finals, with an elimination clash ahead against Cronulla at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night.
Johnathan Thurston and Scott Drinkwater on 100% Footy. Nine
The knock on the Cowboys under Payten has forever been around their defence and it’s been a problem again this season, conceding 652 points. With that, North Queensland is the only side in the top eight with a negative points differential.
Last season they conceded 684 points and finished 12th, which was second to the Titans for worst defence.
When the Cowboys finished fifth in 2024, they had the worst defence in the top eight, too.
On Nine’s 100% Footy, Allana Ferguson asked Drinkwater about the balance of attack and defence and whether they should just dial only into their try scoring ability.
“It’s a good question, we haven’t been able to answer that question for a few years to be honest,” he said.
“We’ve been up and down in the defence area. We’ve shown some signs in some games this year against Penrith and against the Roosters. At Magic Round we had 12 men for 20 minutes in that game and defended great, so it is there.
“It’s up to the individual between the ears whether you want to put all your effort into that.
“We’ll go after our footy with the ball as well. You’ve got to be able to move the footy around and bring fatigue into a team and make them move. We always have a good plan with that, and probably put a whole heap of energy into that, and we’re just taking too many breaths when we don’t have the ball.”
Drinkwater’s men will have to make those changes quickly after conceding 50 points at home against the Raiders.
That performance left Payten “shocked and very disappointed”.
Part of the reason behind the capitulation was Reuben Cotter being sin-binned off the first tackle for a high shot.
Reuben Cotter is sin-binned. Getty Images
Cotter has since pleaded not guilty and will head to the NRL judiciary on Tuesday night after he was handed a one-match ban.
Drinkwater wasn’t willing to prejudice the case too much when asked about it.
“He’d be a massive loss, fingers crossed he’s out there for us. He does so many gritty efforts in the middle there, and he’s on every kick chase,” he said.
“We need him out there, he’s our leader. I don’t want to get in the politics of it, but there was nothing in it.”
