North Queensland Cowboys coach Todd Payten has admitted he’s “losing sleep” as yet another error-riddled performance saw his side slump to a 12-8 loss against the Bulldogs in Townsville.
Although the Cowboys led for much of the match, they were unable to capitalize on crucial opportunities, as both of their tries were disallowed following a string of costly mistakes.
The defeat leaves the Cowboys stuck in 12th place on the NRL ladder, casting serious doubt over their chances of making the finals.
Speaking candidly in his post-match press conference, Payten voiced his deep frustration over the team’s recurring mistakes and the lack of progress in addressing them.
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“We’ve got some parts of our game that are costing us dearly. And I’m losing sleep at night working out how to fix that,” Payten said.
The Cowboys coach didn’t hold back when questioned about the alarming 17 errors made during the match, offering a candid assessment with no attempt to sugarcoat the situation.
“And where they happen. In our own half and yep, it’s concerning,” he said.
“I lose sleep at night thinking about it, working out ways of getting through it.
“In the end, we’ve got some guys who have just got to get their job done.
“NRL is hard, but that’s not a good enough excuse.
“The same people make the same stuff.”
Payten also addressed a series of positional changes made just before kick-off, including Tom Dearden moving to the right edge of the field, swapping places with Jaxon Purdue, while Jeremiah Nanai returned to his usual position on the right.
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“I haven’t given it a lot of thought. I’m not opposed to running it out that way next week,” he said,
“Things went awry yesterday with Jake (Clifford) doing his quad and then having a look at how both edges match up, decided to go with the change.
“Food for thought and we will discuss it over the next couple of days.”