Todd Payten has reserved special praise for Reece Robson, after the unheralded dummy-half helped his side overcome Newcastle 36-16 at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
The Cowboys had to reel in a half time deficit, after the Knights threatened to snap their six-match losing streak at the home of one of the most in-form teams in the NRL.
However, the fast-finishing North Queensland side produced a second half masterclass, as they piled on the points and kept their visitors scoreless in the second stanza.
“I’m happy with the way we responded after half time,” Payten said.
“There was more confirmation about how important it is that we get our game right and I don’t think we did that for periods in the first half and that’s why the score was what it was.”
At one stage, the Knights completed at almost 90%, as the Cowboys struggled to cut out uncharacteristic errors. And they found themselves 16-12 down at the break, despite coming out of the blocks firing thanks to a Tom Dearden try in the opening two minutes.
Yet, in the second half the Cowboys were a completely different side, overpowering the Knights. They scored tries in back-to-back sets as their momentum proved too difficult to stop.
“There were moments in that first half that I thought we had them on tilt through the middle, then just went a bit lateral," he said.
“I talked to Robbo about taking his opportunities when we got a bit of ruck speed and I thought he pierced through the line a couple of times, while we had some movement around him.
“I think he has been [an unsung hero].
“I think he’s the best defensive hooker in the comp.
“Really tight and his movements are good. He’s off the line quick. He leads our line speed and gets through a ton of work. And he doesn’t miss many [tackles],” Payten added.
Robson finished as his side’s leading tackler with 46, while he also ran for 76m.
“On the other side of the ball, he serves us pretty good – he’s starting to take some of those opportunities he gets,” Payten said.
The Cowboys have now notched four victories on the bounce, as they seek to establish themselves near the top of the ladder. Their next assignment – in Magic Round – is against the Wests Tigers, in another matchup they’ll fancy themselves in.
