Murray Will Be Cows' Question Mark To Jt's Exclamation Points

Sydney Morning Herald

Friday February 22, 2008

Andrew Stevenson

WHO'S NEW: Five-eighth Travis Burns (Manly), centre Ben Harris (Bradford Bulls), halfback Anthony Watts (Sharks), prop Dayne Weston (Cronulla), second row Daniel Backo (Mackay) winger John Williams (Roosters) and winger Anthony Perkins (Brisbane Norths).

WHO'S GONE: Centre Paul Bowman (retired), five-eighth Jason Smith (retired), winger Scott Minto (retired), winger Brenton Bowen (Titans) and Rod Jensen (Huddersfield Giants).

BIGGEST QUESTION: Can they stay in one piece - on and off the field? In 2006 the club was torn apart by off-field feuding and last year it was injuries that wreaked havoc. By the time the Cowboys flew south to play off for a grand final spot, too many big forwards were in shirts and ties sitting on the bench - a lot of excess baggage to fly from Townsville and a lot of grunt missing from the field. Equally, star halfback Johnathan Thurston was a wounded duck. He'll be late back on the field after going under the knife in the off-season. If he stays fit, the Cowboys are contenders; he's that good.

JOB SEEKERS: After a sterling 2006 season with Manly, Travis Burns was squeezed out by the Sea Eagles' 2007 big-name signing, Jamie Lyon. Injuries didn't help but the tough little five-eighth has a great chance to ignite his career by playing the straight man to Thurston. Pound-for-pound Burns might well be the game's strongest defender. Ben Harris makes a welcome return to the NRL and will add plenty of starch in defence. Dayne Weston and Daniel "Son of Sam" Backo are big units ready to stake their claims. John Williams is fast enough to take advantage of attacking opportunities - if he can sort out his defensive deficiencies.

KEEP YOUR EYE ON: JT. Watch him like a hawk when he has ball in hand - every NRL defender does, and they seem to pay for it. Will it be the dummy, the cut-out pass, the grubber kick or the lay-off to big Carl Webb? This guy has all the options covered, pushing the boundaries of quality each time he plays and already threatening to retire an Immortal. Watch him each time he tackles or gets hit: if you've got money riding on the Cows this year, the thorny question is going to be how well JT jumps up from the deck. His uncanny knack of finding Matt Bowen with the right ball makes the Cows worth watching. It also makes life hell for five-eighths, so pity poor Burns as he tries to play himself into the side.

REASONS TO BE EXCITED: At their best the Cowboys offer the perfect balance of brute force and guile. The forwards roster, with the intimidating Webb and Origin players Luke O'Donnell, Jacob Lillyman and Matthew Scott, can hold its own against any side, and the backs love to run. The forwards will be even better if Sione Faumuina can fulfil his potential. Throw in one of the game's best home-ground advantages - a parochial crowd and year-round humidity to undermine visiting sides - and the Cowboys are always going to be there or thereabouts.

REASONS TO BE WORRIED: Coach Graham Murray has been punted as many times as an old football. He's off again at year's end. What will the impact be? Will he have the players' confidence if he doesn't have the club's? Does he have his own, after the Origin debacle last season? Then there's the obvious, in the first four rounds when Watts starts as half: Can the Cows beat time if JT doesn't play?