2017 North Queensland Cowboys season explained

Year:	2017
Team Colour:	navy
Font Colour:	white
League:	NRL
League Rank:	8th
League Wins:	13
League Draws:	0
League Losses:	11
Points For:	467
Points Against:	443
Playoff Result:	Lost Grand Final
Ceo Title:	CEO
Ceo:	Greg Tonner
Coach Title:	Coach
Avg Attendance:	16,512
Total Attendance:	174,818
High Attendance:	23,321 (vs. Brisbane Broncos, Round 26)
Top Tries:	Kyle Feldt (15)
Top Goals:	Ethan Lowe (47)
Top Points:	Ethan Lowe (102)
Next Season:	2018

The 2017 North Queensland Cowboys season was the 23rd in the club's history. Coached by Paul Green and co-captained by Johnathan Thurston and Matthew Scott, they competed in the NRL's 2017 Telstra Premiership. The club became just the second 8th-placed side to make the Grand Final, ultimately losing to the Melbourne Storm.

Season summary

Milestones

• Round 1: Ben Hampton made his debut for the club.
• Round 2: Johnathan Thurston scored his 2,000th point.
• Round 3: Shaun Fensom made his debut for the club.
• Round 3: Kane Linnett played his 150th NRL game.
• Round 4: Kyle Feldt played his 50th game for the club.
• Round 4: Gideon Gela-Mosby made his NRL debut.
• Round 4: Gideon Gela-Mosby and Kalyn Ponga scored their first NRL tries.
• Round 5: Shaun Fensom scored his first try for the club.
• Round 7: Corey Jensen made his NRL debut.
• Round 11: Ben Hampton scored his first try for the club.
• Round 15: Kyle Laybutt made his NRL debut.
• Round 16: Gavin Cooper played his 250th NRL game.
• Round 17: Te Maire Martin made his debut for the club.
• Round 17: Te Maire Martin scored his first try for the club.
• Round 17: Shaun Fensom played his 150th NRL game.
• Round 21: Braden Uele made his NRL debut.
• Round 21: Paul Green coached his 100th NRL game.
• Round 22: Lachlan Coote played his 150th NRL game.
• Round 23: Patrick Mago made his NRL debut.
• Round 23: Michael Morgan scored his 50th try for the club.
• Round 24: Scott Bolton played his 200th game for the club.
• Round 24: Enari Tuala and Shane Wright made their NRL debuts.
• Finals Week 2: Kane Linnett played his 150th game for the club.
• Finals Week 2: John Asiata scored his first NRL try.
• Finals Week 3: Antonio Winterstein played his 150th game for the club.
• Finals Week 3: The club qualified for their third Grand Final.

Squad

Squad movement

Gains

Player	Signed From	Until End of	Notes
Ben Hampton	Melbourne Storm
Shaun Fensom	Canberra Raiders
Corey Jensen	Townsville Blackhawks
Blake Leary	Manly Sea Eagles
Te Maire Martin	Penrith Panthers (mid-season)
Shane Wright	Gold Coast Titans

Losses

Player	Signed To	Until End of	Notes
Ben Hannant	Retired
Jahrome Hughes	Melbourne Storm
Rory Kostjasyn	Newcastle Knights
Nick Lui-Toso	Penrith Panthers
Tautau Moga	Brisbane Broncos
Brandon Smith	Melbourne Storm
James Tamou	Penrith Panthers

Re-signings

Player	Club	Until End of	Notes
John Asiata	North Queensland Cowboys
Scott Bolton	North Queensland Cowboys
Jake Clifford	North Queensland Cowboys
Gavin Cooper	North Queensland Cowboys
Kyle Feldt	North Queensland Cowboys
Gideon Gela-Mosby	North Queensland Cowboys
Shaun Hudson	North Queensland Cowboys
Corey Jensen	North Queensland Cowboys
Kyle Laybutt	North Queensland Cowboys
Emry Pere	North Queensland Cowboys
Matthew Scott	North Queensland Cowboys
Murray Taulagi	North Queensland Cowboys
Jason Taumalolo	North Queensland Cowboys
Johnathan Thurston	North Queensland Cowboys
Enari Tuala	North Queensland Cowboys

Fixtures

NRL Auckland Nines

See main article: 2017 NRL Auckland Nines. The NRL Auckland Nines is a pre-season rugby league nines competition featuring all 16 NRL clubs.

Pool Play

Date	Time (Local)	Round	Opponent	Venue	Score	Tries	Goals
Saturday, 4 February	2:40pm	Round 1	Sydney Roosters	Eden Park	27  - 15		Thurston (1)
Saturday, 4 February	4:35pm	Round 2	Canberra Raiders	Eden Park	35  - 6		Bowen (1), Morgan (1), Ponga (1), Thurston (1)
Sunday, 5 February	11:05am	Round 3	South Sydney Rabbitohs	Eden Park	19  - 8		Ponga (1)
Sunday, 7 February	2:30pm	Quarter-final	Melbourne Storm	Eden Park	12  - 25
Legend:

Pre-season

Date	Round	Opponent	Venue	Score	Tries	Goals	Attendance
Saturday, 11 February	Trial 1	Sydney Roosters	BB Print Stadium	11  - 10	Leary, Tuala	Laybutt (1/2, 1 FG)
Friday, 17 February	Trial 2	Wests Tigers	Campbelltown Stadium	18  - 16		Thurston (3/3)
Friday, 17 February	Trial 3	Townsville Blackhawks	Jack Manski Oval	44  - 8	Ponga (3), Traill (2), Gahan, Slade-Roycroft, Pere	-
Legend:

Regular season

Date	Round	Opponent	Venue	Score	Tries	Goals	Attendance
Saturday, 4 March	Round 1	Canberra Raiders	1300SMILES Stadium	20  - 16	Bowen, Cooper, Coote, Hess	Thurston (2/4)	17,548^[1]
Friday, 10 March	Round 2	Brisbane Broncos	Suncorp Stadium	21  - 20		Thurston (4/4, 1 FG)	47,703
Saturday, 18 March	Round 3	Manly Sea Eagles	1300SMILES Stadium	8  - 30	Granville	Thurston (2/2)	14,763
Saturday, 25 March	Round 4	Gold Coast Titans	Cbus Super Stadium	32  - 26	Hess (2), Gela-Mosby, Ponga, Thurston	Thurston (6/7)	17,647^[2]
Friday, 31 March	Round 5	South Sydney Rabbitohs	1300SMILES Stadium	20  - 6	Fensom, Gela-Mosby, Morgan	Thurston (4/4)	13,671
Saturday, 8 April	Round 6	Wests Tigers	1300SMILES Stadium	16  - 26		Thurston (2/3)	15,424
Saturday, 15 April	Round 7	St George Illawarra Dragons	WIN Stadium	22  - 28	Bolton, Gela-Mosby, Morgan, Spina	Feldt (3/4)	13,886
Saturday, 22 April	Round 8	Newcastle Knights	1300SMILES Stadium	24  - 12		Lowe (2/2), Feldt (2/4)	13,678
Friday, 28 April	Round 9	Parramatta Eels	1300SMILES Stadium	6  - 26	Winterstein	Feldt (1/1)	14,247
Thursday, 11 May	Round 10	Canterbury Bulldogs	ANZ Stadium	30  - 14		Lowe (4/5), Feldt (1/1)	8,122
Thursday, 18 May	Round 11	Cronulla Sharks	Southern Cross Group Stadium	14  - 18	Feldt, Hampton, Winterstein	Feldt (1/2), Lowe (0/2)	8,557
	Round 12	Bye
Saturday, 3 June	Round 13	Gold Coast Titans	1300SMILES Stadium	20  - 8	Feldt, Hess, Morgan	Feldt (4/6)	14,612^[3]
Saturday, 10 June	Round 14	Parramatta Eels	TIO Stadium	32  - 6		Thurston (6/7)	11,968
Saturday, 17 June	Round 15	Melbourne Storm	AAMI Park	22  - 23		Feldt (5/6)	17,124
Saturday, 24 June	Round 16	Penrith Panthers	1300SMILES Stadium	14  - 12	Feldt, Jensen	Lowe (3/3)	17,876
Saturday, 1 July	Round 17	Canberra Raiders	GIO Stadium	31  - 18		Lowe (5/6), Coote (1 FG)	10,266
	Round 18	Bye
Sunday, 16 July	Round 19	South Sydney Rabbitohs	Barlow Park	23  - 10	Feldt, Granville, Hess, Taumalolo	Lowe (3/4), Coote (1 FG)	11,217
Saturday, 22 July	Round 20	Warriors	1300SMILES Stadium	24  - 12	Bowen (2), Lowe, O'Neill	Lowe (4/5)	16,080
Saturday, 29 July	Round 21	Sydney Roosters	Allianz Stadium	16  - 22	Feldt, Hess, Linnett	Lowe (2/3)	9,476
Friday, 4 August	Round 22	Melbourne Storm	1300SMILES Stadium	8  - 26		Lowe (2/2)	21,380
Saturday, 12 August	Round 23	Penrith Panthers	Pepper Stadium	16  - 24		Lowe (2/3)	12,357
Saturday, 19 August	Round 24	Cronulla Sharks	1300SMILES Stadium	16  - 26		Lowe (2/3)	15,539
Friday, 25 August	Round 25	Wests Tigers	Campbelltown Stadium	22  - 14		Lowe (3/4)	9,436
Thursday, 31 August	Round 26	Brisbane Broncos	1300SMILES Stadium	10  - 20		Lowe (1/2)	23,321
Legend:

Finals

Date	Round	Opponent	Venue	Score	Tries	Goals	Attendance
Sunday, 10 September	Elimination Final	Cronulla Sharks	Allianz Stadium	15  - 14		Lowe (3/4), Morgan (1 FG)	16,115
Saturday, 16 September	Semi Final	Parramatta Eels	ANZ Stadium	24  - 16		Lowe (4/4)	41,287
Saturday, 23 September	Preliminary Final	Sydney Roosters	Allianz Stadium	29  - 16		Lowe (6/6), Morgan (1 FG)	28,108
Sunday, 1 October	Grand Final	Melbourne Storm	ANZ Stadium	6  - 34		Lowe (1/1)	79,722
Legend:

Statistics

Name	App	T	G	FG	Pts
	28	1	-	-	4
	28	2	-	-	8
	13	3	-	-	12
	25	3	-	-	12
	21	2	-	2	10
	28	15	17	-	94
	21	1	-	-	4
	4	3	-	-	12
	24	4	-	-	16
	26	1	-	-	4
	27	13	-	-	52
	4	-	-	-	-
	18	1	-	-	4
	9	-	-	-	-
	2	-	-	-	-
	3	-	-	-	-
	28	5	-	-	20
	28	2	47	-	102
	2	-	-	-	-
	12	6	-	-	24
	27	11	-	2	46
	20	1	-	-	4
	7	3	-	-	12
	2	-	-	-	-
	8	2	-	-	8
	26	4	-	-	16
	6	-	-	-	-
	7	2	26	1	61
	1	-	-	-	-
	1	-	-	-	-
	19	4	-	-	16
	1	-	-	-	-
Totals		89	90	3	541

Representatives

The following players have played a representative match in 2017.

								World Cup
John Asiata
Gavin Cooper
Coen Hess
Patrick Kaufusi
Kyle Laybutt
Blake Leary
Te Maire Martin
Michael Morgan
Justin O'Neill
Jason Taumalolo
Johnathan Thurston
Antonio Winterstein

Honours

League

• Dally M Halfback of the Year: Michael Morgan
• Dally M Try of the Year: Kyle Feldt
• Dally M NYC Player of the Year: Jake Clifford
• NYC Team of the Year: Jake Clifford, Kalyn Ponga

Club

• Paul Bowman Medal: Jason Taumalolo
• Players' Player: Michael Morgan and Jason Taumalolo
• Coach's Award: Michael Morgan
• Member's Player of the Year: Michael Morgan
• Club Person of the Year: Scott Bolton and Ray Thompson
• Rookie of the Year: Corey Jensen
• NYC Player of the Year: Kurt Wiltshire
• Townsville Bulletins' Fan Choice Award: Michael Morgan

Feeder clubs

National Youth Competition

• North Queensland Cowboys - 5th, lost elimination final

Queensland Cup

• Mackay Cutters - 8th, missed finals
• Northern Pride - 12th, missed finals
• Townsville Blackhawks - 6th, lost elimination final

References

-27.4647°N 153.0094°W

Notes and References

1. Web site: NRL: Cowboys v Raiders. Austadiums. 15 October 2017.
2. Web site: NRL: Titans v Cowboys. Austadiums. 22 October 2017.
3. Web site: NRL: Cowboys v Titans. Austadiums. 22 October 2017.