https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/sport/nrl/cowboys/the-world-is-changing-everyday-and-josh-mcguire-is-using-that-to-be-at-his-best/news-story/436b2507d8db69712b492a4d9d23b8ab THE world is changing every day, Josh McGuire says, as the coronavirus situation morphs into a crisis. That is why the Cowboys prop is relishing every opportunity he is afforded to get on to the field. McGuire announced his return to the field with trademark aggression and energy in Thursday’s win over the Bulldogs. He ripped in from the first hit-up, typifying the ethic that made him an Origin star.
With 167m from 18 runs and 31 tackles to boot, the North Queensland hardman left the Bulldogs battered and short of breath when the full-time siren sounded. And he said this energetic approach would be a hallmark of his game in 2020, particularly in the current climate. “When you have the opportunity to play footy you have to take it as much as you can because you just never know when it’s going to be your last game,” McGuire said. “That’s me, I just love football, I love rugby league. Sometimes I can let things get the better of me, I get a bit over excited, but that’s footy. “Obviously it was my first game back so I’ll get fitter as the year goes on and hopefully just keep playing better footy.” It was an unprecedented game day on Thursday as the Cowboys took a chartered flight to and from the game on the same day. With no crowd in the stands the atmosphere of the contest was purely generated from the 34 players colliding at ANZ Stadium. For McGuire the opportunity to remain at home for longer was a blessing as he could spend more time with his family – albeit he admitted it was a strange experience having built a consistent game day routine through all his years in the NRL. As for the lack of a crowd, it had no impact on his performance. Rather it inspired some memories. “For me it was all right, I didn’t mind, it just reminded me of my younger days when we played under 20s,” McGuire said. “It was fine, obviously you enjoy the big atmosphere of the games but you play rugby league to win and be the best team, you don’t necessarily need someone patting you on the back and screaming your name to get going. “I was just going out there to play footy and get a win. That’s all I care about – that the 16 other fellas I play with on the weekend all get behind each other, rip in and enjoy that battle.” While he missed the round one match against the Brisbane Broncos, McGuire knew there was disappointment in the team after the performance. But that, he said, was why they needed the chance to bounce back against Canterbury-Bankstown and the team delivered. With a test against the Parramatta Eels next on the agenda, McGuire said they had to prepare as if it was all systems go. “It’s out of our control so you just prepare as if you are playing and whatever happens, happens,” he said. “That’s just life in general at the moment isn’t it really? Things are occurring every hour of the day and we’re no different in the NRL, but everyone is very confident on putting on a good spectacle.”
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AuthorThis section showcases a collection of some of the work I did covering the North Queensland Cowboys - from match reports, to player features to breaking news. Archives
June 2020
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