The Broncos are in the firing line, but up the road the Cowboys are just as bad…if not worse – Fox Sports

The Cowboys werent the first team to be given a good going over by Parramatta at Bankwest Stadium on Friday night and the likelihood is they wont be the last either.
North Queensland, though, are one of the anomalies of the season so far.
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Round 9
Just when you think theyve turned a corner with an impressive performance they regress.
Just when you think theyve got some rhythm, they look woefully out of step. Theyre a multi buster.
A fortnight ago they were thumped by the Wests Tigers with the future of coach Paul Green called into question.
It prompted Josh McGuire to say some of his teammates were taking the piss labelling the performance shithouse and telling them that if they didnt want to front up to go dig a hole or get on the tools.
McGuires public dressing down had the desired effect, with the Cowboys sealing a chaotic yet deserved win against Newcastle on home soil. Fast forward to last Friday night and all the good work from the win over the Knights was undone.
Jason Taumalolo of the Cowboys looks on following a Tigers trySource: AAP
THE SQUAD
After an underwhelming 2019 where they looked slow and sluggish, the Cowboys spent big.
They wanted speed and agility so went out and recruited million-dollar man Valentine Holmes, Esan Marsters and Reece Robson along with promoting exciting teenager Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow.
Tabuai-Fidow has been used in Holmes absence, and despite being one of their best in recent weeks the teenager was dropped from the 17-man squad for the Eels.
The rest of that trio have endured a mixed bag.
Holmes has been hit and miss when hes not been out with injury.
Marsters has been particuarly gaffe prone with a competition high 12 try causes and nine errors.
Esan Marsters gets a pass away against CronullaSource: AAP
Robson, however, has managed to oust Jake Granville as the clubs starting hooker.
Not helping Green, either, has been the injury to Michael Morgan and the fact Jordan McLean and Jason Taumalolo have been in and out of the side.
Valentine Holmes takes a high ballSource: AAP
Nevertheless, they still have eight internationals – Holmes, Morgan, McGuire, McLean, Justin ONeill (Australia), Marsters (New Zealand), Taumalolo, John Asiata (Tonga) – and two Origin players in Queenslands Gavin Cooper and Coen Hess.
Its a good side with experience through the middle and out wide. So what is going wrong?
Cowboys press conference
2:56
A STUMBLING BLOCK?
One of the criticisms of Greens style is that in attack he uses too many block plays.
They are boring, easy to defend against and dont yield points. Or so the narrative goes.
Theres nothing wrong with block plays per se. In fact the Roosters are the biggest proponents of a block play. They just execute them so well that they look seemless.
This year most of the Cowboys points are not coming from set structures theyre coming out of broken play by either a kick or a break.
Currently the Cowboys are tied fifth for tries scored, going at an average of four per game. Not bad for a side that has been labelled robotic and have just two wins this season.
Tries scored per game
Roosters – 4.6
Tigers/Sharks/Eels – 4.1
Cowboys/Knights – 4
Storm – 3.5
Theyre third in linebreaks with 4.9 per game (behind Roosters 6.3pg, Eels 5.4pg) so attack isnt a big issue for them.
One man who could be doing more for them, though, is Holmes.
When he signed the former NFL hopeful, Green said: A guy like Valentine with his skill set and athletic ability can really add an extra dimension to our attack.
Holmes hasnt set the world alight, however.
Hes running for at 97m per game and making an average of 10 runs.
To put that into context, only Latrell Mitchell (81m pg/8.5 runs pg) is doing less in the No. 1 jumper across the competition.
Parra pump cold Cowboys
2:21
The likes of James Tedesco (218m pg/19.7 runs pg), Roger Tuivasa Sheck (187mpg/19.7 runs pg) are doing double the work and are key to their sides fortunes.
But the real problem is with their defence…
Gehamat Shibasaki of the Knights evades Scott DrinkwaterSource: Getty Images
RIGHT OLD PAIN
Club great Johnathan Thurston is not usually one for a hot take, but he came down hard on the Cowboys after Fridays loss, saying: I think their effort in defence, what you want to see is the boys keep having effort.
I think they were beaten on a lot of little efforts tonight. The Eels have got a strong pack, no doubt about that, and they just kept charging forward through the middle third and our right edge was atrocious tonight.
Where Cowboys have conceded their tries
Right side – 18
Left side – 16
Through the middle – 4
Maika Sivo scored four and Michael Jennings another on Friday, as the partnership of Marsters at centre and Kyle Feldt on the wing got exposed time and again.
Its a weak spot. Feldt and Marsters have been at fault – try causes – for a combined 12 of the 18 tries down that edge. In other words, two players have been responsible for 32 per cent of the tries theyve let in.
Cowboys try causes
Kyle Feldt, Esan Marsters – 12
Justin ONeill – 7
Scott Drinkwater/Ben Hampton 6
What tends to happen is Marsters shoots up to protect Jake Clifford, the halfback inside him, leaving Feldt on his own.
And it is seeing their good work in attack being cancelled out by their defensive failings.
Tries conceded per game
Broncos – 5
Cowboys/Titans – 3.8
Warriors – 4.5
ALL UP IN THE AIR
The right edge is not alone in its shortcomings.
On the other side of the field and there are a number of players being shown up.
Justin O’Neill loses out in aerial contestSource: Getty Images
Five-eighth Scott Drinkwater is making the equal second most errors in the competition (ahead of Dallin Watene-Zelezniak) and has missed 24 tackles this season.
Alongside him on that same edge and winger Justin ONeill and centre Tom Opacic have become a target for aerial bombardment.
Maybe it hints at a wider problem in their backline.
Late in the first half against Parramatta, Holmes and Feldt were split on who was catching a pretty routine ball.
The way were playing, its not good enough and for the team we have and the way were playing its just unacceptable, Holmes admitted on Monday.
We know we can score points. Were not worried about that.
Ben Hampton (L) and Valentine Holmes (R) of the Cowboys clash while competing for a high ballSource: Getty Images
Its just having confidence doing it and backing what Greenys throwing at us, to do whatever he says. Sometimes I feel like were going away from all that and I feel like weve just got to stick to that.
Things need to change and fast. They play the Roosters, Panthers, Sea Eagles and Raiders over the next month. Last year there were claims of unrest among the coach and some of his key players. Having been given the off season to spend, if they cant turn it around quickly then Seibold wont be the only coach in Queensland under the microscope.

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