Cowboys coach sees more discipline in Warriors fight

The fault behind north Queensland’s second-round derby defeat by Brisbane was their ball control and manager Todd Payten has challenged his players to make amends given a revamped Warriors squad when the sides meet in Townsville.

Payten’s Cowboys coughed up the ball eight times in their round one win over Canberra, and that grew to 13 errors in round two against the Broncos.

As a result, the Cowboys line was under constant pressure, allowing Brisbane’s batting arms to run rampant in a second-half three-for-one blitz.

North Queensland had the fifth most errors in the NRL in 2022, averaging just over 10 errors per game, and Payten is looking to fix the ship earlier this year.

“We have to defend well, attack well and move well,” Payten said of their defensive duties against the Warriors.

“If we look at our first two performances, it was our ball control that put us under pressure, as well as a lack of discipline, by marching our opponent out of our own goal too easily.

“We have to get these three parts right – they all influence each other in some way. So we have to improve.”

Three of the last four games between Payten’s Cowboys and his former Warriors team have been decided by four points or fewer.

The only exception is the last game in Townsville, where the hosts dominated 48-4.