Cowboys.com.au are providing an in-depth positional analysis of the 2023 North Queensland Toyota Cowboys squad. We begin the series with the fullback position headlined by 2022 breakout star Scott Drinkwater.
The players are ranked by their NRL experience with their career numbers of games in brackets next to their name.
Scott Drinkwater (73)
Drinkwater was one of the more remarkable stories of the 2022 NRL season. The 25-year-old started the season in the Queensland Cup as the Cowboys’ back-up five-eighth, but by the end of the season had solidified himself as one of the competition’s form fullbacks. Drinkwater signed a four-year contract extension in September and is locked in as the Cowboys’ fullback for Round 1.
Tom Chester (1)
A born and bred Townsville junior, Chester shot from the clouds to make his NRL debut in 2022. A half coming through the junior grades, Chester moved to full-time fullback last season and was a revelation for the Townsville Blackhawks. The 21-year-old has also spent time training in the centers in the pre-season.
Jodeci Baker-Tiraha (0)
A player for Cowboys fans to keep an eye on in the lower grades in 2023. Baker-Tiraha has battled hamstring injuries for much of the previous two seasons. A 19-year-old blessed with blistering raw speed, Baker-Tiraha will be looking to secure a Queensland Cup debut early in the 2023 season.
NOTE: Valentine Holmes, Peta Hiku and Brendan Elliot also have extensive experience at fullback, but will be included in the centre/wing article.
