North Queensland Cowboys boss Todd Payten knows things must change in order to save the club’s stuttering season—and quite possibly his own job.
The besieged coach revealed harsh conversations have been had in the lead-up to tonight’s Round 20 clash with the Dolphins at Suncorp Stadium, which shapes as ‘must win’ game for the 12th placed Cowboys.
“There are some guys putting pressure on our team,” Payten admitted as the Cowboys prepared to travel to Brisbane.
“If they want keep their spot, they have to get the job done, different weeks it’s different individuals, but it’s important everyone understands where they sit—we need to improve and there have been conversations (throughout the season).”
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Asked why the message seems yet to get through to some within the Cowboys playing group, Payten pointed to a combination of factors.
“Pressure and fatigue, some guys are low on confidence, getting inside their head at different moments,” he said.
“We need to connect as a team better in those periods and help each other along.”
Derby dropped
One player to pay the price at the selection table is 23-year-old winger Robert Derby, dropped for tonight’s Dolphins match following thirteen handling errors in the past three weeks.
“He’s disappointed and he’s got some work to do back in Q Cup,” Payten explained.
“He (Derby) does a lot of good things for us, but the fundamentals are eating at his confidence, our confidence and then the spirit of the team in different moments.
“He carries the ball really strong, he can find the try line and he’s fit, he just has to believe in himself when things aren’t going well—reset and get that next involvement done the right way.”
Clifford ‘not right’
Payten also confirmed injured half Jake Clifford remains in the Cowboys rehab group and won’t be a last-minute inclusion for Round 20.
“He’s not right, but looking to play next week, things are heading in the right direction,” Payten said before suggesting Clifford will slot straight into five-eighth on his return, pushing teenager Jaxon Purdue back to the centres.
“Jake is more than likely to come back in (as five-eighth) if fit.”
Despite all the challenges of 2025, the Cowboys are still just five points outside the top eight with seven matches to play and the bye in the final round, a situation not lost on Payten who continues to face intense scrutiny about his coaching future in Townsville.
“It’s about being confident in what we can do, just be us,” he said.
“There’s still plenty of football to be played and we’re not far from the eight, we just need to string a couple of wins together—and it starts this week.”