2021 North Queensland Cowboys season

Last updated

2021 North Queensland Cowboys season
NRL Rank15th
Play-off resultMissed finals
2021 recordWins: 7; draws: 0; losses: 17
Points scoredFor: 460; against: 748
Team information
CEOJeff Reibel
Coach Todd Payten
Captain
Stadium Queensland Country Bank Stadium
Avg. attendance14,472
High attendance22,222 (vs. Brisbane Broncos, Round 9)
Top scorers
Tries Kyle Feldt (12)
Goals Valentine Holmes (54)
Points Valentine Holmes (126)
<  2020 2022  >

The 2021 North Queensland Cowboys season was the 27th in the club's history. Coached by Todd Payten and captained by Jason Taumalolo, they competed in the NRL's 2021 Telstra Premiership.

Contents

The 2021 season was the Cowboys' first under Payten, who joined the club from the New Zealand Warriors on a three-year deal. He became the club's eighth full-time head coach and their 10th overall. [1] [2] On 16 December 2020, Taumalolo was named as co-captain of the club alongside Morgan. [3]

The club endured another disappointing season in 2021, missing the finals for the fourth consecutive year. [4]

Season summary

On 9 April, co-captain Michael Morgan announced his immediate retirement from rugby league due to an ongoing shoulder injury. [5]

Milestones

Squad

NRL squadCoaching Staff

Head coach

Assistant coaches


Legend:
  • (c) Captain(s)
  • (vc) Vice-captain(s)
  • D Development player [7]

Updated: 27 August 2021
Source(s): NQ Cowboys

Squad movement

Gains

PlayerSigned FromUntil End ofNotes
Javid Bowen Northern Pride colours.png Northern Pride
2022
[8]
Kane Bradley Wests Tigers colours.svg Wests Tigers
2022
[9]
Lachlan Burr Auckland colours.svg New Zealand Warriors
2022
Tom Dearden Brisbane colours.svg Brisbane Broncos (mid-season)
2024
Laitia Moceidreke Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury Bulldogs (mid-season)
2023

Losses

PlayerSigned ToUntil End ofNotes
John Asiata Brisbane colours.svg Brisbane Broncos
2021
Michael Bell Townsville Blackhawks colours.png Townsville Blackhawks (mid-season)
2021
Jake Clifford Newcastle colours.svg Newcastle Knights (mid-season)
2023
Gavin Cooper Retired
Wiremu Greig Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta Eels (mid-season)
2023
Esan Marsters Gold Coast Titans colours.svg Gold Coast Titans (mid-season)
2022
Josh McGuire St. George colours.svg St George Illawarra Dragons (mid-season)
2022
Michael Morgan Retired (mid-season)
[5]
Justin O'Neill Retired (mid-season)
Tom Opacic Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta Eels
2021
Dan Russell Balmain colours.svg Brisbane Tigers
2021
Tukimihia Simpkins Wests Tigers colours.svg Wests Tigers
2023
[9]
Garrett Smith Newcastle colours.svg Newcastle Knights
2021

Re-signings

PlayerClubUntil End ofNotes
Javid Bowen North Queensland colours.svg North Queensland Cowboys
2022
Ben Condon North Queensland colours.svg North Queensland Cowboys
2023
Scott Drinkwater North Queensland colours.svg North Queensland Cowboys
2023
Jake Granville North Queensland colours.svg North Queensland Cowboys
2022
Ben Hampton North Queensland colours.svg North Queensland Cowboys
2022
Griffin Neame North Queensland colours.svg North Queensland Cowboys
2023
Riley Price North Queensland colours.svg North Queensland Cowboys
2023

Ladder

PosTeamPldWDLBPFPAPDPts
1 Melbourne colours.svg Melbourne Storm 2421031815316+49944
2 Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2020 colours.svg Penrith Panthers (P)2421031676286+39044
3 South Sydney colours.svg South Sydney Rabbitohs 2420041775453+32242
4 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 2416081744492+25234
5 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Sydney Roosters 2416081630489+14134
6 Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta Eels 2415091566457+10932
7 Newcastle colours.svg Newcastle Knights 24120121428571−14326
8 Gold Coast Titans colours.svg Gold Coast Titans 24100141580583−322
9 Cronulla colours.svg Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 24100141520556−3622
10 Canberra colours.svg Canberra Raiders 24100141481578−9722
11 St. George colours.svg St. George Illawarra Dragons 2480161474616−14218
12 Auckland colours.svg New Zealand Warriors 2480161453624−17118
13 Wests Tigers colours.svg Wests Tigers 2480161500714−21418
14 Brisbane colours.svg Brisbane Broncos 2470171446695−24916
15 North Queensland colours.svg North Queensland Cowboys 2470171460748−28816
16 Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 2430211340710−3708

Fixtures

Pre-season

On 13 February, the Cowboys played the Townsville Blackhawks in an unofficial hour-long scrimmage match in Ayr. [28]

DateRoundOpponentVenueScoreTriesGoalsAttendance
Saturday, 27 FebruaryTrial 1 Brisbane colours.svg Brisbane Broncos Moreton Daily Stadium 34 – 18 Drinkwater, Dunn, Feldt, Holmes, Marsters, Tabuai-Fidow Clifford (3/4), Holmes (2/2)
Legend:   Win  Loss  Draw  Bye

Regular season

DateRoundOpponentVenueScoreTriesGoalsAttendance
Saturday, 13 MarchRound 1 Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2020 colours.svg Penrith Panthers Panthers Stadium 0 – 24 14,077
Saturday, 20 MarchRound 2 St. George colours.svg St George Illawarra Dragons Queensland Country Bank Stadium 18 – 25 Granville, Hess, Holmes Holmes (3/3)15,120
Sunday, 28 MarchRound 3 Gold Coast Titans colours.svg Gold Coast Titans Queensland Country Bank Stadium 8 – 44 Tabuai-Fidow, Taulagi Holmes (0/2)12,621
Saturday, 3 AprilRound 4 Cronulla colours.svg Cronulla Sharks Netstrata Jubilee Stadium 10 – 48 Holmes, Tabuai-Fidow Holmes (1/2)5,119
Sunday, 11 AprilRound 5 Wests Tigers colours.svg Wests Tigers Leichhardt Oval 34 – 30 Taulagi (2), Burr, Condon, Drinkwater, Tabuai-Fidow Holmes (5/6)9,433
Sunday, 18 AprilRound 6 Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury Bulldogs Queensland Country Bank Stadium 30 – 18 Condon, Dunn, Feldt, Granville, Robson Holmes (5/5)11,965
Saturday, 24 AprilRound 7 Canberra colours.svg Canberra Raiders Queensland Country Bank Stadium 26 – 24 Condon, Feldt, O'Neill, Robson Holmes (5/5)13,791
Sunday, 2 MayRound 8 Auckland colours.svg Warriors Central Coast Stadium 20 – 24 Taulagi (2), Drinkwater, Robson Holmes (2/4)3,692
Saturday, 8 MayRound 9 Brisbane colours.svg Brisbane Broncos Queensland Country Bank Stadium 19 – 18 Feldt, Lemuelu, Taumalolo Holmes (3/4, 1 FG)22,222
Saturday, 15 MayRound 10 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Sydney Roosters Suncorp Stadium 16 – 30 Drinkwater (2), Bowen Holmes (2/4)45,122
Thursday, 20 MayRound 11 Newcastle colours.svg Newcastle Knights Queensland Country Bank Stadium 36 – 20 Taulagi (3), Dunn, Holmes, Luki, Robson Holmes (4/7)11,208
Friday, 28 MayRound 12 Auckland colours.svg Warriors Queensland Country Bank Stadium 29 – 28 Clifford, Drinkwater, Feldt, Tabuai-Fidow, Taulagi Holmes (4/5, 1 FG)14,951
Round 13 Bye
Friday, 11 JuneRound 14 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly Sea Eagles 4 Pines Park 18 – 50 Bowen, Tabuai-Fidow, Taulagi Holmes (3/3)6,801
Friday, 18 JuneRound 15 Cronulla colours.svg Cronulla Sharks Queensland Country Bank Stadium 24 – 26 Feldt (2), Dearden, Molo Holmes (4/4)13,926
Saturday, 3 JulyRound 16 Newcastle colours.svg Newcastle Knights McDonald Jones Stadium 0 – 38 7,610
Friday, 9 JulyRound 17 South Sydney colours.svg South Sydney Rabbitohs McDonald Jones Stadium 18 - 46 Dearden, Wright, Feldt Drinkwater (3/4)3,127
Saturday, 17 JulyRound 18 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Sydney Roosters Queensland Country Bank Stadium 18 - 34 Bowen, Tabuai-Fidow, Robson Drinkwater (3/3)15,933
Friday, 23 JulyRound 19 Melbourne colours.svg Melbourne Storm Queensland Country Bank Stadium 16 – 20 Bradley, Feldt, Hess Drinkwater (2/3)14,924
Friday, 30 JulyRound 20 Brisbane colours.svg Brisbane Broncos Suncorp Stadium 18 – 37 Dearden, Feldt, Granville Drinkwater (3/4)29,136
Sunday, 8 AugustRound 21 Gold Coast Titans colours.svg Gold Coast Titans Cbus Super Stadium 14 – 36 Dearden, Feldt, Holmes Holmes (1/3)0 [29]
Saturday, 14 AugustRound 22 Wests Tigers colours.svg Wests Tigers Queensland Country Bank Stadium 16 – 24 Dearden, Hampton, Nanai Holmes (2/4)12,663
Saturday, 21 AugustRound 23 Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta Eels Cbus Super Stadium 16 – 32 Granville, Luki, Moceidreke Holmes (2/3)3,013
Saturday, 28 AugustRound 24 St. George colours.svg St George Illawarra Dragons Browne Park 38 – 26 Feldt (2), Dearden, Hampton, Luki, Robson, Tabuai-Fidow Holmes (5/7)4,487
Sunday, 4 SeptemberRound 25 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly Sea Eagles Queensland Country Bank Stadium 18 – 46 Condon, McLean, Tabuai-Fidow Holmes (3/3)14,336
Legend:   Win  Loss  Draw  Bye

Statistics

Name App T G FG Pts
Daejarn Asi 5----
Javid Bowen 93--12
Kane Bradley 21--4
Lachlan Burr 151--4
Jake Clifford 71--4
Ben Condon 114--16
Reuben Cotter 6----
Tom Dearden 126--24
Scott Drinkwater 24511-42
Mitchell Dunn 202--8
Kyle Feldt 2012--48
Tom Gilbert 11----
Jake Granville 244--16
Ben Hampton 102--8
Coen Hess 222--8
Peter Hola 3----
Valentine Holmes 204542126
Corey Jensen 9----
Connelly Lemuelu 131--4
Heilum Luki 113--12
Esan Marsters 3----
Josh McGuire 4----
Jordan McLean 241--4
Laitia Moceidreke 11--4
Francis Molo 191--4
Michael Morgan 2----
Jeremiah Nanai 41--4
Griffin Neame 3----
Justin O'Neill 51--4
Reece Robson 246--24
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow 148--32
Murray Taulagi 2010--40
Jason Taumalolo 151--4
Shane Wright 161--4
Totals82652460

Representatives

The following players have played a representative match in 2021.

All Stars match State of Origin 1 State of Origin 2 State of Origin 3
Daejarn Asi
Māori All Stars
Reuben Cotter
Indigenous All Stars
Kyle Feldt
Queensland
Queensland
Wiremu Greig
Māori All Stars
Valentine Holmes
Queensland
Queensland
Queensland
Esan Marsters
Māori All Stars
Francis Molo
Queensland
Queensland
Emry Pere
Māori All Stars
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow
Queensland

Honours

Club

Feeder Clubs

Queensland Cup

Women's team

QRL Women's Premiership

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References

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  27. "Cowboys re-sign Hampton". NQ Cowboys. 11 June 2021.
  28. "Cowboys to face Blackhawks in Ayr". NQ Cowboys. 29 January 2021.
  29. Game played behind closed doors
  30. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "2021 Presentation Night: Live Updates". NQ Cowboys. 9 September 2020.

27°27′53″S153°0′34″E / 27.46472°S 153.00944°E / -27.46472; 153.00944