2022 Preview: North Queensland Cowboys

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Andrew Jackson takes a look at the season ahead for the North Queensland club as our NRL club preview series for 2022 continues.

When Todd Payten took over North Queensland, the incoming coach had a bold plan - one the Cowboys seemingly should have embraced a long time ago. 

It had been six years since North Queensland lifted the premiership trophy and still the Cowboys were stuck in the past, trying to find success with a method that was stale and in need of change.

Insert Payten, who came in promising a completely new set-up and approach, all with the aim of getting North Queensland back up to speed with the faster pace of the modern game.

Payten was the breath of fresh air the Cowboys so desperately needed but when it failed to equate to results on the field, there were doubts that maybe he was trying to do too much, too soon. 

The Jason Taumalolo experiment on the edge failed to fire while finding the right position for North Queensland's other million-dollar man - Valentine Holmes - proved a challenge.

As did the lack of certainty in the halves and so Payten went to the market and lured premiership-winning halfback Chad Townsend up north.

The price tag raised eyebrows given Townsend's form at Cronulla but his experience and leadership should, even in the short-term, pay dividends. 

Should the halves picture become clearer, the Cowboys have the ingredients for a spine capable of contending for the finals with spark from Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Reece Robson.

There are also promising youngsters coming through the system in the middles. 

Whether Payten is willing to embrace their potential ahead of safer options up front will determine how far the Cowboys go in 2022. 

Why they'll win it

They won't. But, if there was anything that worked for the Cowboys last year and could help them in 2022, it was capitalising on the pace Robson and Tabuai-Fidow played with when on the field.

Robson has proven quite the astute pick-up, getting through the hard work in defence but still having enough energy to pose a threat out of dummy-half. 

His ability to spot tired defenders is underrated and will continue to prove an ace up North Queensland's sleeve with Tabuai-Fidow trailing in support from the back. 

While it necessarily did not work this season, another positive for Payten's men is the sheer number of players they used in the 2021 season. 

Obviously injuries and inconsistent form is not conducive to immediate success, but the fact that the Cowboys had to use 35 players last year (third-most in NRL) will also set them up well for what shapes as another disrupted season.

Payten also blooded six debutants last season, another positive to take out of an otherwise disappointing season that could lead to better results this time around. 

Whey they won't

Defence and simple errors.

Fixing the defence remains the biggest priority for Payten after the Cowboys conceded on average over 31 points a game last season. 

Also, even when the Cowboys were near full-strength last year, errors and simple mistakes continued to prove an obstacle and left Payten increasingly frustrated.

"Every time we gained some momentum we made a pretty basic error, drop our heads and we haven't got the resilience to fight our way out of it," he said after a tight loss to the Dragons. 

Payten was not afraid to be brutally honest in post-match press conferences and while there is a balance to strike between constant criticism and encouragement, it was refreshing to see.

He clearly is not hiding from the enormity of the task ahead and that can only be positive considering too often coaches seem hesitant to publicly admit what everyone else is thinking. 

Payten though was also criticised last season for being too stubborn, with his insistence on continuing the Taumalolo edge experiment one example. 

That was not Payten's only questionable decision, also coming under scrutiny for persisting with Coen Hess on the edge and the underperforming Jordan McLean and Josh McGuire up front. 

Hess had played Origin on the edge before so it is understandable to think his best footy is in the second row but the 25-year-old looked at his best when his game was simplified - namely just running hard and fast in the middle.

As for McLean, the Cowboys have plenty of young front rowers who offer more dynamics better suited for the faster-paced game. 

This is a young North Queensland squad and sometimes McLean's experience alone is important enough to justify his spot but form ultimately has to be the deciding factor.

Should Payten continue to make the wrong decisions on key personnel, the Cowboys will struggle to lift themselves from the bottom of the ladder.

North Queensland's draw - how it stacks up

With the Bulldogs, Broncos, Roosters (twice), Warriors, Raiders, Tigers and Knights in the opening rounds of the season, the Cowboys have a serious chance to make a strong start to the 2022 season.

There are games against the Roosters and Eels that you can pretty much put down as losses already but those other matches are certainly winnable for Payten's men. 

The only problem is that North Queensland made a strong start last season and look where it got them - nowhere.

So, should the Cowboys capitalise on a relatively soft draw early on, the key will be to not have the same mid-season wobbles that saw them plummet to the bottom of the ladder.

Fortunately for Payten though, the rest of the draw really is not that bad for the Cowboys.

The Panthers, Roosters and Titans are the only top-eight teams from last season that North Queensland play twice.

Although, having two matches against the Bulldogs and Broncos, for example, is hardly a boost this season given both are tipped to be big improvers.

Key players

How Payten uses Holmes and Taumalolo will obviously be key given the fact both take up in excess of $2 million on the Cowboys' roster every season.

But it is the halves picture that will decide how the Cowboys go this year.

In Scott Drinkwater, North Queensland have a promising five-eighth to partner alongside Townsend.

Defence is still a concern for Drinkwater but will come with time for the 24-year-old, who finished last season with 17 try assists. 

While Dearden could be a long-term option in the halves, he will benefit from spending time under Townsend's guidance and developing his game away from the spotlight.

Regardless, Drinkwater is the better foil for Townsend given his creativity and threatening running game. 

Dearden has shown himself capable to take the line on but stylistically is too similar to Townsend.

Rookies to watch

Look for Helium Luki to make a big jump in 2022 after a breakout rookie season.

The home-grown product recently re-signed with the Cowboys until the end of the 2025 season in a clear sign he is part of their future.

It is not hard to see why he would be as one of North Queensland's greatest weaknesses has been the lack of firepower in the second row and Luki will be a key part of solving it.

Speaking of explosive second rowers with potential, Jeremiah Nanai is another one to continue to look out for.

The 19-year-old managed just four games last year but again should be at the centre of North Queensland's plans for the future.

In the middle, Griffin Neame is another one who showed glimpses last year and will push for a bench spot.

Player movements

Inbound: Peta Hiku, Jamayne Taunoa-Brown (Warriors), Chad Townsend (Sharks via Warriors), Brendan Elliot (Leigh (UK))

Outbound: Michael Morgan, Justin O'Neill, Javid Bowen, Lachlan Burr (retired), Francis Molo (St Geo Illa), Corey Jensen (Brisbane), Peter Hola (Canberra), Shane Wright (Salford (UK)), Michael Bell (released)

Best 17

1. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow
2. Kyle Feldt
3. Valentine Holmes
4. Peta Hiku
5. Murray Tualagi
6. Scott Drinkwater
7. Chad Townsend
8. Jordan McLean
9. Reece Robson
10. Jason Taumalolo
11. Jeremiah Nanai
12. Helium Luki
13. Reuben Cotter

14. Jake Granville
15. Coen Hess
16. Tom Gilbert
17. Griffin Neame

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