North Queensland Toyota Cowboys coach Paul Green has pinpointed a 10-week period during the middle of the NRL season as potentially the most difficult part of the 2014 draw for his squad.
Coinciding with the State of Origin series when the Cowboys have traditionally had a strong representation causing selection and availability headaches, Greens team will have just two home matches at 1300SMILES Stadium and six south of the border from rounds 11 to 20.
In two of those games against Canberra and St George Illawarra they will be without their Origin stars.
The two home matches are against Melbourne and South Sydney, both top-four teams in 2013.
Green said it was a positive for the Cowboys to have three of their first five matches at home after being away from North Queensland for their two trials and the Auckland Nines, and hes hoping it will a hot and humid March and April that greets the Raiders, Warriors and Knights.
Hopefully we can get off to a good start and build a bit of momentum, he said.
Earlier in the year I know teams dont particularly like coming up here because of the weather.
Well be looking to take advantage of that if we can.
You always want to get off to a good start and bank some points early, particularly when you have a squad such as ours that has such a high number of players involved in Origin.
Coinciding with the State of Origin series when the Cowboys have traditionally had a strong representation causing selection and availability headaches, Greens team will have just two home matches at 1300SMILES Stadium and six south of the border from rounds 11 to 20.
In two of those games against Canberra and St George Illawarra they will be without their Origin stars.
The two home matches are against Melbourne and South Sydney, both top-four teams in 2013.
Green said it was a positive for the Cowboys to have three of their first five matches at home after being away from North Queensland for their two trials and the Auckland Nines, and hes hoping it will a hot and humid March and April that greets the Raiders, Warriors and Knights.
Hopefully we can get off to a good start and build a bit of momentum, he said.
Earlier in the year I know teams dont particularly like coming up here because of the weather.
Well be looking to take advantage of that if we can.
You always want to get off to a good start and bank some points early, particularly when you have a squad such as ours that has such a high number of players involved in Origin.
