| 2016 North Queensland Cowboys season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NRL Rank | 4th | |||
| 2016 record | Wins: 15; draws: 0; losses: 9 | |||
| Points scored | For: 584; against: 355 | |||
| Team information | ||||
| CEO | Greg Tonner | |||
| Coach | Paul Green | |||
| Captain | ||||
| Stadium | 1300SMILES Stadium | |||
| Avg. attendance | 16,692 | |||
| High attendance | 25,163 (vs. Brisbane Broncos, Round 11) | |||
| Top scorers | ||||
| Tries | Kyle Feldt (15) | |||
| Goals | Johnathan Thurston (98) | |||
| Points | Johnathan Thurston (201) | |||
| ||||
The 2016 North Queensland Cowboys season was the 22nd in the club's history and their first as defending premiers. Coached by Paul Green and co-captained by Johnathan Thurston and Matthew Scott, they competed in the NRL's 2016 Telstra Premiership. In the pre-season the Cowboys competed in the 2016 Auckland Nines tournament, reaching the quarter-finals. The team finished the regular season in 4th, losing in the preliminary final to the eventual premiers, the Cronulla Sharks.
Season summary
Milestones
- Round 1: Johnathan Thurston scored his 1,800th point in the NRL.
- Round 3: Lachlan Coote scored his 50th try in the NRL.
- Round 5: Javid Bowen made his NRL debut.
- Round 5: James Tamou played his 150th game for the club.
- Round 5: Javid Bowen scored his first NRL try.
- Round 7: Justin O'Neill played his 100th NRL game.
- Round 7: Johnathan Thurston scored his 1,000th point at 1300SMILES Stadium.
- Round 9: Kane Linnett scored his 50th NRL try.
- Round 10: Ethan Lowe played his 50th game for the club.
- Round 11: Johnathan Thurston played his 250th game for the club.
- Round 12: Jahrome Hughes made his debut for the club.
- Round 12: Jahrome Hughes scored his first NRL try.
- Round 13: Ray Thompson played his 100th game for the club.
- Round 13: Gavin Cooper scored his 50th try for the club.
- Round 14: Jason Taumalolo played his 100th game for the club.
- Round 17: Gavin Cooper played his 150th game for the club.
- Round 18: Josh Chudleigh made his NRL debut.
- Round 18: Josh Chudleigh scored his first NRL try.
- Round 26: Lachlan Coote and Jake Granville played their 50th games for the club.
- Finals Week 1: Ben Hannant played his 50th game for the club.
- Finals Week 2: Justin O'Neill played his 50th game for the club.
- Finals Week 2: Kalyn Ponga made his NRL debut.
- Finals Week 2: Michael Morgan played his 100th game for the club.
- Finals Week 3: John Asiata played his 50th game for the club.
Squad List
| First team squad | Coaching staff | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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Head coach Assistant coaches
Updated: 10 October 2015 | ||||||
Squad Movement
Gains
| Player | Signed From | Until End of | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shaun Hudson | 2017 | ||
| Jahrome Hughes | 2016 | ||
| Patrick Mago | 2016 |
Losses
| Player | Signed To | Until End of | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glenn Hall | 2016 | ||
| Viliame Kikau | 2017 | ||
| Cameron King | 2016 | ||
| Robert Lui | 2016 | ||
| Hezron Murgha | 2016 | ||
| Zac Santo | 2016 | ||
| Scott Schulte | 2016 | ||
| Kelepi Tanginoa | 2016 | ||
| Matthew Wright | 2018 |
Re-signings
Ladder
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | B | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 | 19 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 563 | 302 | +261 | 42 | |
| 2 | 24 | 17 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 688 | 456 | +232 | 39 | |
| 3 | 24 | 17 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 580 | 404 | +176 | 39 | |
| 4 | 24 | 15 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 584 | 355 | +229 | 34 | |
| 5 | 24 | 15 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 554 | 434 | +120 | 34 | |
| 6 | 24 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 563 | 463 | +100 | 32 | |
| 7 | 24 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 506 | 448 | +58 | 32 | |
| 8 | 24 | 11 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 508 | 497 | +11 | 27 | |
| 9 | 24 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 499 | 607 | −108 | 26 | |
| 10 | 24 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 513 | 601 | −88 | 24 | |
| 11 | 24 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 341 | 538 | −197 | 24 | |
| 12 | 24 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 473 | 549 | −76 | 22 | |
| 13 | 24 | 8 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 454 | 563 | −109 | 20 | |
| 14 | 24 | 13 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 298 | 324 | −26 | 181 | |
| 15 | 24 | 6 | 0 | 18 | 2 | 443 | 576 | −133 | 16 | |
| 16 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 2 | 305 | 800 | −495 | 7 | |
1 Parramatta were deducted 12 competition points and their for/against tally accumulated between rounds 1-9 for gross long-term salary cap breaches.
Fixtures
NRL Auckland Nines
The NRL Auckland Nines is a pre-season rugby league nines competition featuring all 16 NRL clubs. The Cowboys, whose side featured a returning Matthew Bowen, finished first in their pool before being eliminated by the Melbourne Storm in the quarter-finals.
Pool Play
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 55 | 36 | +19 | 4 | |
| 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 48 | 58 | −10 | 4 | |
| 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 48 | 37 | +11 | 2 | |
| 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 36 | 56 | −20 | 2 |
| Date | Time (Local) | Round | Opponent | Venue | Score | Tries | Goals | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 6 February | 1:20pm | Round 1 | Eden Park | 28 – 12 | Cooper (3), Gela-Mosby (2), O'Neill | M. Bowen (1), Morgan (1) | |||||
| Saturday, 6 February | 5:40pm | Round 2 | Eden Park | 12 – 13 | Gela-Mosby (2), Winterstein | - | |||||
| Sunday, 7 February | 11:50am | Round 3 | Eden Park | 15 – 11 | Cooper, Hess, Lowe | Coote (1) | |||||
| Sunday, 7 February | 2:30pm | Quarter-final | Eden Park | 6 – 14 | Kostjasyn | Coote (1) | |||||
| Legend: Win Loss | |||||||||||
Pre-season
| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Score | Tries | Goals | Attendance | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 6 February | Trial 1 | Salter Oval | 26 – 48 | Chudleigh, Creith, Hughes, Mago, Ponga | Laybutt (3/5) | 8,122 | ||||
| Thursday, 11 February | Trial 2 | Jack Manski Oval | 18 – 16 | Cooper, Morgan, O'Neill | Thurston (3/3) | - | ||||
| Sunday, 21 February | Trial 3 | Headingley Stadium | 38 – 4 | O'Neill (2), Coote, Feldt, Linnett, Morgan, Thurston | Thurston (5/7) | 19,778 | ||||
| Legend: Win Loss Draw | ||||||||||
Regular season
Finals
| Qualifying and elimination finals | Semi-finals | Preliminary finals | Grand Final | ||||||||||||||||
| 10 Sept, Melbourne Rectangular Stadium | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | 10 | 16 Sept, Willows Sports Complex | |||||||||||||||||
| 26 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 9 Sept, Lang Park | 20 | 24 Sept, Melbourne Rectangular Stadium | |||||||||||||||||
| 5 | 44 | 14 | |||||||||||||||||
| 8 | 28 | 12 | 2 Oct, Stadium Australia | ||||||||||||||||
| 12 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 11 Sept, Sydney Football Stadium | 23 Sept, Sydney Football Stadium | 14 | |||||||||||||||||
| 6 | 28 | 32 | |||||||||||||||||
| 7 | 12 | 17 Sept, Canberra Stadium | 20 | ||||||||||||||||
| 22 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 10 Sept, Canberra Stadium | 12 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | 14 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Score | Tries | Goals | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 10 September | Qualifying Final | AAMI Park | 16 – 10 | Feldt, Winterstein | Thurston (1/2) | 21,233 | |
| Friday, 16 September | Semi-final | 1300SMILES Stadium | 26 – 20 | O'Neill (2), Hess, Morgan | Thurston (5/6) | 23,804 | |
| Friday, 23 September | Preliminary Final | Allianz Stadium | 32 –20 | Feldt (2), Coote, Hess | Thurston (2/4) | 36,717 | |
| Legend: Win Loss Draw | |||||||
Statistics
| Name | App | T | G | FG | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Asiata | 19 | - | - | - | - |
| Scott Bolton | 27 | 2 | - | - | 8 |
| Javid Bowen | 10 | 4 | - | - | 16 |
| Josh Chudleigh | 1 | 1 | - | - | 4 |
| Gavin Cooper | 26 | 9 | - | - | 36 |
| Lachlan Coote | 27 | 5 | - | 1 | 21 |
| Kyle Feldt | 24 | 15 | - | - | 60 |
| Jake Granville | 25 | 2 | - | - | 8 |
| Ben Hannant | 24 | - | - | - | - |
| Coen Hess | 8 | 4 | - | - | 16 |
| Jahrome Hughes | 1 | 1 | - | - | 4 |
| Patrick Kaufusi | 12 | - | - | - | - |
| Rory Kostjasyn | 26 | 1 | - | - | 4 |
| Kane Linnett | 22 | 5 | - | - | 20 |
| Ethan Lowe | 25 | 9 | 7 | - | 50 |
| Tautau Moga | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| Michael Morgan | 22 | 9 | - | - | 36 |
| Justin O'Neill | 25 | 13 | - | - | 52 |
| Kalyn Ponga | 2 | - | - | - | - |
| Matthew Scott | 23 | 2 | - | - | 8 |
| Ben Spina | 2 | - | - | - | - |
| James Tamou | 25 | 2 | - | - | 8 |
| Jason Taumalolo | 27 | 6 | - | - | 24 |
| Ray Thompson | 7 | 3 | - | - | 12 |
| Johnathan Thurston | 24 | 2 | 96 | 1 | 201 |
| Antonio Winterstein | 24 | 13 | - | - | 52 |
| Totals | 108 | 103 | 2 | 640 |
Representatives
The following players have played a representative match in 2016.
| All Stars match | ANZAC Test | Polynesian Cup | City vs Country | Residents match | State of Origin 1 | State Of Origin 2 | State of Origin 3 | Four Nations | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Asiata | - | - | Samoa | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Gavin Cooper | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Queensland | - |
| Jahrome Hughes | - | - | - | - | Queensland | - | - | - | - |
| Patrick Kaufusi | - | - | Tonga | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Rory Kostjasyn | - | - | - | Country | - | - | - | - | - |
| Kane Linnett | - | - | - | Country | - | - | - | - | - |
| Michael Morgan | - | Australia | - | - | - | Queensland | Queensland | - | Australia |
| Justin O'Neill | - | - | - | - | - | Queensland | Queensland | Queensland | Australia |
| Matthew Scott | - | Australia | - | - | - | Queensland | Queensland | Queensland | Australia |
| James Tamou | - | Australia | - | - | - | New South Wales | New South Wales | New South Wales | - |
| Jason Taumalolo | - | New Zealand | - | - | - | - | - | - | New Zealand |
| Johnathan Thurston | - | Australia | - | - | - | Queensland | Queensland | Queensland | Australia |
| Antonio Winterstein | - | - | Samoa | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Matthew Wright | World All Stars | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Honours
League
- Dally M Medal: Jason Taumalolo
- Dally M Lock of the Year: Jason Taumalolo
- Rugby League Players Association Player of the Year: Jason Taumalolo
- NYC Team of the Year: Gideon Gela-Mosby, Kalyn Ponga, Brandon Smith
Club
- Paul Bowman Medal: Jason Taumalolo
- Players' Player: Jason Taumalolo
- Member's Player of the Year: Jason Taumalolo
- Club Person of the Year: John Asiata
- Most Improved: Ethan Lowe
- Rookie of the Year: Javid Bowen
- NYC Player of the Year: Brandon Smith
- Townsville Bulletins' Fan Choice Award: Michael Morgan
Feeder Clubs
National Youth Competition
North Queensland Cowboys - 2nd, lost preliminary final
Queensland Cup
Mackay Cutters - 14th, missed finals
Northern Pride - 8th, missed finals
Townsville Blackhawks - 3rd, lost semi final
References
- ↑ Meyn, Travis (22 July 2015). "Hudson moves to Cowboys as Origin star Brian Kelly agrees to stay on Gold Coast". The Gold Coast Bulletin.
- ↑ Thompson, Michael (9 October 2015). "Jahrome Hughes signs with North Queensland Cowboys". The Townsville Bulletin.
- ↑ Cowboys, NQ (2 February 2016). "First playing squads for 2016 named". NQ Cowboys.
- ↑ "Blackhawks Gains and Losses". QRL.com.au. 17 November 2015.
- ↑ "Panthers sign Quartet of Young Guns". Penrith Panthers. 10 June 2015.
- ↑ "Eels Announce Two New Signings". Parramatta Eels. 13 August 2015.
- ↑ Ryan, Nathan (6 October 2015). "England bound Robert Lui leaves door ajar for NRL return". FOX Sports Australia.
- ↑ "Blackhawks Gains and Losses". QRL.com.au. 17 November 2015.
- ↑ Tuxworth, Jon (20 December 2015). "Canberra Raiders hope Zac Santo can emulate Jordan Rapana and seize his chance". SMH.
- ↑ Eels, Parra (21 October 2015). "Eels sign trio for 2016". Parramatta Eels.
- ↑ Eels, Parra (21 October 2015). "Eels sign trio for 2016". Parramatta Eels.
- ↑ Sea Eagles, Manly (22 April 2016). "Matthew Wright to join Manly". Manly Sea Eagles. Archived from the original on 25 April 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
- ↑ "Cowboys re-sign young NRL talent". August 2016.
- ↑ "Josh Chudleigh".
- ↑ "Coote re-signs with Cowboys". 27 April 2016.
- ↑ "Granville extends time at Cowboys". 27 November 2015.
- ↑ "Cowboys re-sign young NRL talent". August 2016.
- ↑ "Cowboys re-sign Patrick Kaufusi". 9 August 2016.
- ↑ "Linnett to remain in Cowboys stable". 26 May 2016.
- ↑ "Cowboys re-sign premiership duo". July 2016.
- ↑ "Cowboys re-sign premiership duo". July 2016.
- ↑ "Home". cowboys.com.au.