Niggle Feldt at your own risk, dare Cows

Sure, defending champions North Queensland want firebrand winger Kyle Feldt to keep his nose clean this NRL finals series.

But Cowboys co-captain Johnathan Thurston has all but dared Brisbane to niggle their passionate try-scoring flyer in Friday night’s sudden death semi-final in Townsville.

Feldt raised the ire of North Queensland after he lashed out in frustration in a tackle, warranting a telling 75th minute penalty in the Cowboys’ 16-10 opening NRL finals loss to Melbourne last week.

It was not a good look following his self confessed “brain fart” – a round 18 shoulder charge that resulted in a three-week ban.

Yet Thurston had no complaints when reminded of Feldt’s latest snap against Melbourne.

Indeed he all but challenged the Broncos to push the angry button again in their must win derby.

“That could be a tactic of theirs (niggling). If they have been watching our games they probably would have noticed that,” Thurston said of Feldt’s brain snaps.

“(Broncos coach) Wayne (Bennett) has good people around him who would have noticed that.

“If they want to try it, they can try that.”

But asked if he would ask Feldt to curb his enthusiasm, Thurston said: “No, we still need him to play with that energy.

“It’s semi-finals footy. You’ve got to leave it all out there. Once you cross that white line, everything goes out the window and you are there to win.”

Cowboys coach Paul Green was not concerned by Feldt’s discipline – or lack thereof.

“Its not Feldty and it’s not us as a team,” he said of the winger’s recent breaches.

“I have spoken to him and he agreed so I don’t think we will see that sort of stuff again from him this year.”

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