To beat the Storm, you have to do one thing – shut down their big three. The Cowboys found out that if you fail to do that, you’re on the receiving end of a big score-line.
The 42-18 win at Dairy Farmers Stadium, showed just how good the Storm side is, and just how hard they will be to beat this year, as their big three in Billy Slater, Cameron Smith, and Cooper Cronk, stole the show once more.
For a while, the Cowboys stayed in the contest, before the Storm’s class shone through, and it proved too much for the Cowboys to deal with, and counter with some of their own.
Captain Cameron Smith was pleased with the way his side knuckled down, and played out of their skins.
“That’s probably one area that we need to improve on from the first five rounds,” Smith said of the second half effort.
“We seem to be able to get away to good starts and put some points on but slacken off in the second 40.
“We let a try in there late but I thought we really kept our foot down tonight and put some good points on the board.”
Although he failed to score a try in a game for the first time this season, fullback Billy Slater said that it was pleasing to see the entire side coming together, and gelling well as a unit.
“When we had the chance to play footy everyone was doing their role and running the right lines – it’s always good when everyone’s on,” Slater said.
The Cowboys loss, in what was Aaron Payne’s 200th NRL game, left the club disappointed, especially after Neil Henry’s side fought their way back into the game.
“It was there to win at halftime and (coach Neil Henry) will be disappointed that we didn’t get into a grind with them,” Payne said.
“We’ve lost three out of our four home games – it’s something we’re going to have to work on.”