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Michael Westlake

LOCATION THE KEY FOR COWBOYS TITLE DOUBLE

GEOGRAPHY could be North Queensland’s greatest asset in the Cowboys’ chase to become the first team in nearly a quarter of a century to win back-to-back premierships.

That’s the opinion of former premiership-winning forward Scott Sattler, who was asked by fogs.com.au to cast his eye over the vastly changed NRL landscape and give his predictions for the 2016 season.

Happily for most Queensland league supporters, he sees the Cowboys and beaten grand finalists Brisbane challenging for the title again this year.

“I think the Cowboys are the best placed team out of any in recent history to have a genuine chance of winning the premiership two years in a row,” Sattler said.

“We all know how tough it is for teams to go back-to-back, but in most years, you see the premiers lose players to other clubs or to retirement, and that just hasn’t happened at the Cowboys.

“They have kept their squad together, and they are far from an old team. I think the experience they gained by winning the grand final last year will make them stronger again.

“It is true there is a danger of their hunger dropping off a fraction after climbing the mountain of winning the comp. But I think that is where being a one-team town will really help them.

“The fans in Townsville and across north Queensland will not accept them taking the foot off the gas this year. The expectations and scrutiny on them will be just immense.

“I think they will respond to that pressure, and step up to deliver again.”

Like they were last year, Sattler expects Brisbane to be the biggest challenge to North Queensland’s premiership ambitions.

“Brisbane have been penciled as premiership favourites, and I think they deserve to be, given how they performed last year, the playing roster they have and the new players that have come in,” he said.

“But I definitely think it is too early to be giving them the trophy just yet.

“I think they probably took people by surprise with just how good they were last year, and that element of surprise is now long gone. They had very good fortune with injuries as well, and while you need that luck, you can’t rely on it.

“They will be right up there again, but I am not sure they are the certainty a lot of people think.”

Queensland’s other club, Gold Coast, will be facing another “tough year” according to Sattler.

“In the past couple of months the Titans have seen their best player walk out the door to Brisbane, and their halfback Kane Elgey ruled out for the season with a knee injury,” Sattler said.

“That would be a massive blow for any club, but the Titans will feel it more than most because they don’t have the depth of talent to cover hits like that.

“But the good news for the Gold Coast is that there is hope. The best signing they have made has been off the field, with Brian Canavan joining the club as chief operating officer.

“Brian knows how to build successful clubs, and I think he is the right man to get the Titans pointing in the right direction.

“This year might be another tough year for them, but at least now there is some reason for optimism about what lies ahead.”

Of the other teams in the competition, Sattler expects both Manly (Trent Barrett) and Penrith (Anthony Griffin) to ignite under new coaches.

“Manly are a top-four team in my mind,” Sattler said. “They have bought extremely well, and from what I have heard Barrett is the type of coach that players want to play for.

“I think they will have a terrific year.

“Penrith will challenge for the eight under Griffin, because I think he will bring that ‘black or white’ approach to the Panthers that they need from a coach.

“Parramatta will also improve. They have got great brains in the halves with Keiran Foran, Michael Jennings out wide for strike-power, and I think a guy like Beau Scott will just bring that toughness and professional edge to the club and the forward pack that they have been missing.”

Sattler said it was also “now or never” for the under-achieving Warriors to deliver on their potential.

“We know they have incredibly talented players there, and they have added Issac Luke and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, who are world-class players in their positions,” he said.

“I think the key to the Warriors’ success is just allowing the Warriors to play their own style of game. There is no point having players like that and expecting them to play a super-structured game like Melbourne do.

“It does not come naturally for them. They need to be allowed to play to their strengths.”

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