https://www.dailymercury.com.au/news/cowboys-recruits-in-the-eye-of-the-storm/3661021/ RUGBY LEAGUE: Anticipation is building for the NRL season, with the North Queensland Cowboys rolling out a formidable unit against the Melbourne Storm at BBPrint Stadium. A talented line-up will be on show, pitting Michael Morgan and Coen Hess against Queensland State of Origin teammates Cameron Smith and Cameron Munster. Jordan Kahu, Josh McGuire and Nene Macdonald will also pull on a Cowboys jersey for the first time in a side that is likely to reflect their best 17 for round one. Cowboys coach Paul Green said it was important for his new troops to gain match fitness ahead of the season, with all three set to play integral roles in their pursuit of the 2019 title. "They are different players in their own right, so they each bring something different. But the most important thing is they're keen to play and get into a Cowboys jersey," Green said.
"It's a pretty strong side. This is our last proper hit-out before the comp starts so you want to be pretty close to the team you're looking at for round one. "It's an important game for us, same for the Storm, and it's good to have a hit-out against a good-quality opposition, so we're looking forward to it." After missing out on last year's finals campaign, it has been a disrupted pre-season for the 2015 premiers. The Townsville floods kept the side training on basketball courts, while the changes the squad has undergone present new combinations in need of fine-tuning. Retired NRL legend Johnathan Thurston has left behind a monumental legacy and experienced heads Lachlan Coote, Shaun Fensom, Kane Linnett and Antonio Winterstein have also left the club. However, Cowboys workhorse Gavin Cooper was hopeful the acquisition of key recruits would offset the exodus of experience. "There's a thousand first-grade games there that are gone, so to pick up Moose (McGuire) when we did, and then J.K. (Kahu) only a couple of weeks ago has been a really good pick-up after the circumstances we had," Cooper said. "To see 2018 go in the rear mirror has been really good for everyone, so looking forward now is exciting." Mackay has long been a stomping ground for the Cowboys' emerging stars, with 2016 Dally M Medal winner Jason Taumalolo rising to prominence after his stint with the Cutters. Green said Cutters coach Steve Sheppard had done a good job in putting together a strong side and he would be keeping an eye on the talent coming through Mackay rugby league.
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November 2019
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