Why ‘big call’ may have come too late for Cowboys

Cowboys coach Todd Payten left the NRL world baffled when he made the shock decision to axe veteran Chad Townsend
But as speculation ran rife, Queensland great Darren Lockyer theorised it was likely in a bid to answer the team’s looming $700,000 halves question.
Townsend joined the Cowboys in 2022 and helped the side to a preliminary final in his first season.
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But he’s fallen out of favour in recent times, to the point he’s signed a cheap deal with the Roosters from next season and has now been dropped from the team.
Chad Townsend of the Cowboys. Getty
His omission from North Queensland’s 42-4 victory over the Raiders came as a surprise to many, with Payten naming Jake Clifford at No.7.
Payten has seemingly begun to look towards the future and shake up the team’s spine.
“I think there’s been a couple of big games that the Cowboys haven’t really fired a shot and I think (Payten) just thought it’s happened one too many times,” Lockyer said on Wide World of Sports’ QLDER.
“You can’t go into a finals series with that in the back of mind.
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“A couple of things have gone against Chad this year. The captaincy was given to Tom Dearden and Reuben Cotter then he’s moving on from the club at the end of the year.
“I think the other thing as a coach is he (Payten) wanted to see, ‘if I put Jake in, I’ve got to put him in now. I need to see what he’s capable of and if he’s capable and plays well then I’ve got a decision to make’.
Currently ranked seventh on the premiership ladder, the Cowboys are among the horde of teams fighting to clinch a finals spot.
The Cowboys have a bye this week and it remains to be seen whether he will get back into the team before or during finals.
However, Wally Lewis believes many fans will be in favour of the axing following the side’s latest victory.
“Todd hasn’t made too many decisions like this throughout the year, but coming into finals it was a big call,” he said.
“I think there is plenty of people saying perhaps he should’ve made that one a week or two earlier.”