The Cowboys got their 2017 season off to a fast start, winning four of their first five games, including a 21-20 win over the Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium, to sit just inside the top four.
With a horror injury toll building up, including losing co-captains Matt Scott and Johnathan Thurston for the season, the team struggled during the latter parts of the season, losing five of their last six games.
The next month of football is what many regarded as a fairytale run, with the Cowboys winning three-straight road finals games to qualify for their second decider in three years.
Falling behind 8-0 early to the Cronulla Sharks at Allianz Stadium, a second-half fightback would see the game headed for golden point, with Michael Morgan slotting an 84th minute field goal to advance.
After wins over the Parramatta Eels and Sydney Roosters the following two weeks, they secured a match-up against the Melbourne Storm in the decider.
The Cowboys grand final got off to a horror start, with Shaun Fensom coming off with a broken leg in the fourth minute, before the Storm ran out to an 18-0 half-time lead.
While the Cowboys drew first blood in the second-half through Te Maire Martin, Melbourne proved too strong in the end, running out 34-6 winners.
A number of Cowboys saw representative honours, with Gavin Cooper, Coen Hess, Michael Morgan, Justin O’Neill and Johnathan Thurston all wearing Maroon, while John Asiata, Antonio Winterstein (Samoa), Patrick Kaufusi, Jason Taumalolo (Tonga), Michael Morgan, Johnathan Thurston (Australia) and Te Maire Martin (New Zealand) all representing their country.
Season Statistics
- Captains: Matt Scott and Johnathan Thurston
- Coach: Paul Green
- Principal Sponsor: Toyota
- Wins: 13, Losses: 11,
- Points for: 467, Points against: 443
- Top point scorer: Ethan Lowe (102)
- Finished: 8th
- Average home crowd: 16,512
Representative Players
- Gavin Cooper: World All Stars
- Indigenous All Stars: Johnathan Thurston
- Michael Morgan, Johnathan Thurston: Australia
- Te Maire Martin, Jason Taumalolo: New Zealand
- John Asiata, Antonio Winterstein: Samoa
- Patrick Kaufusi: Tonga
- Gavin Cooper, Coen Hess, Michael Morgan, Justin O’Neill, Johnathan Thurston: Queensland
