2021 North Queensland Cowboys Team Review

Avan Ekim 31, 2021

A shift in momentum mid-year changed everything for the cowboys, who finished in 15th place.

2021 club record

Wins: 7
Losses: 17
Race points: 16

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2021 Player Achievements

Most attempts: Kyle Feldt (12)
Most points: Valentine Holmes (126)

Season summary

It has been said a few times that the North Queensland Cowboys’ 2021 season was a story of two halves, which couldn’t be more true. The first half of the season, while still struggling, looked promising. After halfway through the round, however, the Cowboys suffered a 10-game losing streak, finishing the year in 15th place with just seven wins.

Their first win didn’t come until round five against the Tigers. This started a short-lived streak – three straight wins that made it look like they had the potential to move forward this season. Rounds 1-12 produced six of their wins for the year and it looked like they could have made the top eight; However, after their closing round, the momentum changed completely.

The loss of Michael Morgan had a negative impact on the Cowboys season. The North Queensland captain announced in early April that he would be retiring immediately due to chronic shoulder problems that have kept him on the sidelines for nearly two years.

Morgan said he worked hard during the 2021 preseason to get his shoulder to a place where he was comfortable, and he did just that, however he couldn’t resist. In the last game of his career, which was against the Dragons, has “I heard a huge crunch” in his shoulder, with subsequent scans confirming the worst. It was at that point that he thought it best to retire. While it is unknown how the Cowboys would have fared had Morgan been able to play all year, his absence was decidedly hard on the team.

Another injury for the Cowboys struggled to adjust to that of Valentine Holmes, who sustained a shoulder injury in game three of the State of Origin series. Fortunately for North Queensland, his injury didn’t require surgery, so he was only sidelined for a month.

While not their best season, they have certainly shown they can score points, particularly in rounds 1-12. In all but one of their victories they scored more than 20 points. They are a solid team in attack, but sadly they lacked defense, which had a negative impact on the second half of their season.

All in all, despite having a solid team, the Cowboys can’t seem to find their feet in 2021. Injuries and a huge shift in momentum mid-year have certainly helped stop them from playing their best football, ruining any chance of making it. to the first eight. Next year it will be important for them to gain as much momentum as possible as soon as possible to ensure a better start to the year.