Sharks: Nathan Gardner, Matthew Wright, Ben Pomeroy, Colin Best, John Williams, Albert Kelly, Wade Graham, Kade Snowden, Paul Aiton, Luke Douglas, Jeremy Smith, Anthony Tupou, Paul Gallen. Interchange (from): Josh Cordoba, Broderick Wright, Stuart Flanagan, Dean Collis, Johnny Mannah. V Cowboys: 1. Matthew Bowen 2. Ashley Graham 3. Antonio Winterstein 4. Willie Tonga 5. Kalifa Faifai Loa 6. Ray Thompson 7. Johnathan Thurston 8. Matt Scott 9. Aaron Payne 10. Ashton Sims 11. Scott Bolton 12. Glenn Hall 13. Dallas Johnson Interchange: 14. James Segeyaro 15. Leeson Ah Mau 16. Tariq Sims 17. Gavin Cooper 18. James Tamou 19. Will Tupou Team lists copied from Round 7 Team Line Up thread.
It stimulates discussion though, and given the hypothetical "vcash" is irrelevant, I can't see it having any more of an impact than a fleeting pulse on the forum.
I remember back in 2006. The Cowboys were 6 from 6 to start the season, and had just beaten the, then undefeated, Knights with the clash of Gidley, Buderus and Johns up against Bowen, Payne and Thurston. It was called the grand final rehearsal and is still one of the best club matches I have ever seen. The atmosphere and intensity was phenomenal. Of course when Newcastle lost and Johns failed to set up the winning play despite having ample opportunity to do so, it was written off as an injury he suffered in the first half (though he continued to play on and set up a try afterwards). Anyway, the week after the Cowboys went to Shark Park and endured another close contest. They were trailing by less than a try with seconds remaining. On the attack, Thurston went to the line on last tackle and kicked for his winger. Had the kick been half a metre shorter Williams would've scored for sure and won the match. It wasn't and he didn't, and that marked what was the start of a horrid run of 3 wins from the next 16 games. Thurston had received Dally M points in every single match and was miles out in front (He's leading by 3 this year, and was leading by about 8 in 2006 at the same time). That year they beat the Broncos in Rd1 just as they did this year. They also flogged Melbourne in Rd3 which they also did this year. I hope this year certainly ends better than that season.
So you're saying Thurston failed to set up the winning play despite having ample opportunity to do so?
Plus what I just read seems to imply thats where they are headed again this year lol Different team now, the only player Id have liked to have still been around from the 06 team was Matt Sing.
