Ramblings On Those Rambling Cowboys

Disclaimer: I am little more than a supporter with internet connection.

The 2012 season dawns with much promise for the North Queensland Cowboys and their legion of fans.

After three pitiful seasons spent at the bottom of the NRL table - and saved from a certain wooden spoon by the salary cap machinations of the Melbourne Storm - the Cowboys roared back into life last year on the back of astute recruiting and a return to form from the club's senior players.

The challenge will be to take the performances of 2011 and turn it into something better. With the ARLC ditching the McIntyre system to the original ARL system employed during 1995 an 1996, there is now real incentive for the Cowboys to push for a top four finish, something I certainly believe they are capable of. The target for the Cowboys in 2012 needs to be 15 wins. Since 2007 (the year the NRL expanded to its present 16-team format) any team that wins 15 games finishes in the top four. I believe the Cowboys can achieve this target by repeating their great home form of 2011 (nine wins) and splitting a favourable draw on the road that sees some very winnable contests in hostile territory.

A top four finish will see the Cowboys host a home semi-final at some stage of the finals, either in the first round should we finish first or second, or in the second week should we lose our first game. Under the system, winners of the 1 v 4 and 2 v 3 finals will host a preliminary final in the third week. As a club that has never lost a final in Townsville in three attempts, it is imperative that we finish in the top four this season and give ourselves the best possible chance to win the competition on the back of fanatical hometown support.

The junior development of the Cowboys bore great fruit in 2011 with the Toyota Cup team making the grand final and losing a memorable contest against the Warriors in golden point. Jason Taumalolo will play a lot of first grade this year, and players such as Sam Hoare, Kyle Feldt, Wayne Ulugia and Chris Grevsmuhl may make their mark with the Cowboys throughout the year. Amazingly, Taumalolo is still eligible to play for the Toyota Cup boys, after three seasons in the competition! Having re-signed with the Cowboys until the end of 2015, he is a big, big, big part of our future.

I am looking forward to seeing Johnathan Thurston reclaim the five-eighth jersey this year, as I believe we played highly attractive football when he first joined the club in this position. Of course, the way JT plays means he sees a lot of second-receiver action anyway, so there is the possibility there may be little more than a cosmetic change (wearing number six instead of number seven). Ray Thompson gets first crack to claim the halfback jersey, with Robert Lui waiting in the wings. Thurston's sharing of the captaincy with Matt Scott last season was also a big reason for his return to form, in my view, as it took part of the burden of leadership off his shoulders.

It is hard to believe that Matt Bowen is entering his twelfth season of the NRL. At the age of 30, it is difficult to accept that the Cowboys' most beloved player is entering the sunset of his career. The way that Bowen chimes in from the backline in tandem with Thurston is often wonderful to behold (at least from my perspective) and I am sincerely hoping for a return to his golden years of 2004-07. Elsewhere in the backline, Brent Tate has had a mixed pre-season with various niggling injuries and I hope he is able to make his way back soon to provide leadership to our other young backs such as Kalifa Fai Fai Loa, Kane Linnett, Antonio Winterstein, and to a lesser extent Ashley Graham, who doesn't qualify as a young back through his age, but through his penchant to make rookie errors.

Tariq Sims will have the attention of league fans everywhere as he makes his recovery from a broken leg. He is currently slated to return in Round 3 against Parramatta, although I wouldn't mind betting he will be a late inclusion to take on the Broncos next week. I am excited at the possibility of Sims developing further and becoming a real fixture at the back of the Cowboys pack. The rest of the forwards look extremely strong, with Matt Scott in career-best form, while Paterson, Reithmuller, Bolton, Cooper, Johnson, Hall and Tariq's brother Ashton rounding off an impressive list of players.

What a difference a year makes as far as Neil Henry's job security goes. Although it was undeniable that his first two seasons were disappointing, I thought that the speculation over his job at the start of last year was just a tad overblown. As assistant to Graham Murray during our first run to the finals, a State of Origin assistant coach (some would say the real brains behind Mal Meninga's success), and a Dally M-winning coach of the year at the Raiders, Henry certainly has the runs on the board to continue the Cowboys' climb to the top of the NRL totem pole. Henry has my full confidence, at least until the moment that he doesn't. (How's that for a Ruddesque statement)

As one of the more geographically isolated clubs in the NRL, I can't help but take particular notice in how the travel schedule affects the Cowboys. This year there are only two instances of the Cowboys playing away matches on consecuitive weekends - Rounds 7-8 (Darwin v Roosters, Sydney v Rabbitohs) and Rounds 12-13 (Sydney v Tigers, Gold Coast v Titans). A third instance of two away matches in a row is punctuated by a post-Origin bye.

On the other hand, there are three instances of the Cowboys playing home matches on consecuitive weekends. Four of our first six games are at home, which is critical to the Cowboys making a good start to the season.

I always believe that "this year is the year" as far as the Cowboys are concerned. With a stable roster, talented youngsters, the world's best prop and a Golden Boot-winning halfback/five-eighth on the books, the future is bright. As 2011 demonstrated though, the NRL is a marathon, not a sprint, and the team that excels in April and May needs to sustain such achievement in August and September in order for the season to be considered a success.

So there are just a few of my thoughts for this season ahead. I am looking forward to making a few trips from Central Queensland north to Dairy Farmers and cheer JT, Scotty and the boys to a top four finish and a long-awaited premiership in 2012.