'Can win the comp': Astonishing turnaround tipped

10 months ago 78

Rugby league fable Phil Gould has declared a daze NRL rubric contender aft the weekend's results stating: "Cowboys tin triumph the comp."

Speaking connected Nine's 100% Footy, Gould was beardown successful his content that Penrith are the runaway rubric favourites - sitting archetypal connected the ladder - but was impressed by the Cowboys 45-20 triumph implicit the Storm connected Sunday.

North Queensland achieved the singular triumph without inspiring person Jason Taumalolo, and Gould believes they tin get adjacent better.

"They've got immoderate bully players to travel backmost ... Taumalolo hasn't been playing, Nanai has conscionable travel backmost into the side," helium said.

The Canterbury Bulldogs supremo did authorities "a batch of things person to spell close betwixt present and the extremity of the year" if the Cowboys are to beryllium palmy arsenic they look to rescue themselves from 14th.

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Only 2 weeks ago, the broadside was shocked by the Wests Tigers astatine Leichardt Oval, suffering a 66-18 loss, adding to the misery of a mediocre start.

Gould couldn't pin constituent the 1 crushed wherefore they've started slowly, but explained they can't beryllium counted retired of the premiership contention aft dismantling Melbourne.

"I deliberation that immoderate it was (the crushed for a dilatory start), past year's transportation over; possibly they didn't person the disconnected season; the World Cup, immoderate it is, but you can't bash what they did the different nighttime and not person tremendous ability," helium said.

"To enactment 45 points connected the Storm says to maine that it's inactive determination if they tin conscionable find it connected a accordant basis."

Currently the Cowboys lone beryllium 4 points extracurricular of the apical 8 with 12 portion eighth placed Dolphins are connected 16.

Phil Gould believes the Cowboys are premiership contenders. (Getty)

The Roosters (9th) are connected 16, portion Manly (15), Knights (15), Parramatta (14) and Gold Coast (14) way them.

North Queensland besides person 3 byes successful hand, arsenic the nine looks to juggle the Origin period.

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Gould believes they could surge up the ladder with accordant form, akin to the Canberra Raiders who person scored 7 wins from its past 8 matches.

"When you look astatine the contention table, it's truthful condensed successful those mediate 8 oregon 10 teams, you lone request to triumph 4 oregon 5 successful a row," helium said.

"Look astatine the Raiders, the Raiders mislaid by 40 points to Penrith ... and they're flying.

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"So if the Cowboys tin drawstring 4 oregon 5 wins together, you're going to person a precise antithetic reflection connected them ... they went to the preliminary last past year, I'm expecting they're going to beryllium determination astatine the backmost extremity of the year."

Gould was besides asked astir the Brisbane Broncos chances, who beryllium adjacent archetypal with Penrith, nevertheless helium believes they could beryllium a play distant from glory, indicating immoderate broadside volition conflict to halt the Panthers from winning 3 titles successful a row.

"They tin ... astir apt not this year, I deliberation surely adjacent twelvemonth the Broncos, I spot them astir apt 12 months distant from a genuine premiership," helium said.

"I'm not saying they can't triumph it, each depends connected players disposable astatine the backmost extremity of the twelvemonth but Panthers merit to beryllium favourites, their defence is the champion by a agelong way."

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