Phil Gould
May 9, 2011

New name ... Cowboys players tackle Mitch Rein of the Dragons yesterday at Jubilee Stadium.
Photo: Getty Images
North Queensland travelled to Jubilee Oval yesterday to put St George Illawarra to the test.
Thevisitors came with a plan to play the patience game. They had seen theDragons adopt the formula of discipline and control that had slowlystrangled the life out of all-comers in the past couple of years.
Ratherthan attempt the miracle pass or trick-shot play to crack the Dragons,the Cowboys decided they would attempt to out-grind the kings ofgrinding football.
Advertisement: Story continues below
Click for more photos Dragons trample Cowboys Dragons Brett Morris takes a tumble as he scores a runaway try at Jubilee Oval.
Photo: Quentin Jones
Theyadopted a conservative approach in the early stages of the match,looking to dominate field position through a combination of simple ballcontrol, then kick, chase and tackle. In short, they would play the waythe Dragons have been playing and hope to do it better than the Dragonson the day.
The idea was a good one.Theoretically, every team should have a breaking point. If you canapply the pressure and sustain it for long enough, you will eventuallyfind the vulnerability even in the best opponent. At full time, though,the Cowboys left the field knowing they have a lot more to learn.
Theywere committed. They played tough. They threw everything they had atthe home side as they looked for a weakness. They found nothing. As thegame wore on well into the second half, you sensed the Cowboys'emotions fade from confident to hopeful; from hopeful to frustrated;from frustrated to forlorn; from forlorn to helpless. They never gaveup in physical effort but their body language could not hide theerosion of their self-belief.
It's hard when you have to admit your opponents are just too good.
TheDragons are on such a roll that even the loss of several of their Teststars before kick-off failed to disrupt their cohesion. New names likeKyle Stanley, Peni Tagive, Jack Bosden and Mitch Rein took their placein the team but this well-oiled machine never missed a beat.
Thedefending premiers absorbed the enthusiasm and pressure of the Cowboys'opening gambit. They had their backs to their own goal line for much ofthe opening period but refused to yield. They simply waited for theCowboys to concede them one small error - then pounced.
This process was repeated twice more and three first-half tries to the Dragons gave them an 18-2 lead going into the break.
Ifthe Cowboys were wondering how they might get their first try of thematch, they now knew they needed at least three tries if they were tohave any chance of winning. You might as well have asked them to scaleMount Everest. The game was over and they knew it.
Inthe second half the Cowboys gave their best - defending stoutly,practising their repertoire of patterns and plays, and competingwillingly until the final siren.
The Dragonscruised on autopilot, seemingly untroubled by the Cowboys' bestefforts, to record yet another victory. There endeth the lesson.
Onform displayed last season and now, the Dragons are likely to dominateNSW Origin selection. Having lost five years in a row to theQueenslanders, the Blues could do worse than tap into the methodsdisplayed by the key Dragons players.
Thesimplicity of the Dragons' play and their strength of mind are perfectfor the pressure cooker of Origin football. If some of this can rub offon choice selections from other clubs, the NSW team will offer sternopposition to the Maroons.
I am disappointed thatsenior Dragons players Ben Hornby and Matt Cooper have declared theyare unavailable for representative selection. If NSW officials haven'tcontacted them by now to change their minds, I guess those calls won'tbe made. That's a shame. NSW could use their experience and leadership.
Apartfrom these two men, the likes of Mark Gasnier, Jamie Soward, MattPrior, Beau Scott, Ben Creagh, Michael Weyman, Dean Young, Dan Hunt andTrent Merrin will surely all come under consideration. This array oftalent and the excellent form they display on such a consistent basisis a credit to the players and the coaching and development at theDragons club. They are well on track for another tilt at the title.