Cowboys.com.au are providing an in-depth positional analysis of the 2024 North Queensland Toyota Cowboys squad. We begin the series this week with the fullback position headlined by reigning Paul Bowman Medalist Scott Drinkwater.
The players are ranked by their NRL experience with their career numbers of games in brackets next to their name.
Scott Drinkwater (94)
Fresh of claiming his maiden Cowboys Player of the Year gong, Drinkwater enters 2024 as one of the club’s most important players. The 26-year-old finished inside the top 10 in Dally M voting last season as he solidified his standing as one of the most electric playmakers in the NRL. The clear-cut choice to wear the No.1 for the Cowboys in 2024.
Tom Chester (7)
Townsville born and bred, Chester was on track for a breakout season in the NRL last season before an ACL injury cruelly cut his season short. Chester found his way into Todd Payten’s team through a suspension to Drinkwater as he scored three tries in his six games and was leading Paul Bowman Medal voting at the time of his injury. Chester again shapes as the back-up to Drinkwater at fullback, but his versatility could see him fight his way into the team at any position in the backline.
Jodeci Baker-Tiraha (0)
Blessed with blistering speed, Baker-Tiraha scored 16 tries in as many games in the Queensland Cup last season. After overcoming a string of nasty hamstring injuries during his time in the Cowboys Young Guns, Baker-Tiraha quickly found his feet in his first season of senior football. A natural fullback, Baker-Tiraha also has the ability to play wing and centre.
