They may have lost the game, but North Queensland may have found their future in teenage playmaker Daejarn Asi.
The Cowboys pushed Penrith all the way at Panthers Stadium on Sunday before eventually falling 22-10 to slump to a sixth loss in seven games.
Coach Paul Green was proud of his team’s fight, particularly from his teenage rookies in Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Asi.
Tabuai-Fidow proved why he’s considered a star-in-the-making when he beat seven defenders on a scintillating, 70-metre run for their first try.
“That try, we saw, we know he’s capable of doing that. He should take a lot of confidence out of that, against a good side,” Green said.
It was also an impressive debut for Asi, who was a last-minute call-up to partner Jake Clifford in the halves.
The 19-year-old hails from rugby league factory Keebra Park High School and arrived at the club on a train-and-trial deal in the summer.
Upgraded to the NRL roster earlier in the season, Asi then drew some praise from champion playmaker Andrew Johns for a handful of heady plays against Penrith.
“He didn’t handle pre-season training really well. That was a real shock for him. Most times we’d walk through the players and he was asleep,” Green said of Asi.
“But he fought through it. He come onto our development list earlier in the year.
“He’s got a good temperament about him.
“The occasion doesn’t seem to overawe him, and I thought tonight he come to the game and had some really good plays there, wasn’t afraid to back himself.”
With the return of Michael Morgan still at least three weeks away, and Valentine Holmes on the long-term shelf, the Cowboys will have to persist with their youth.
“It’s my job to teach them, but teach in a way where you’re not taking their confidence away each week either,” Green said.
“You always need to be honest, and they need to be accountable.
“But sometimes it’s how you’re delivering it. That is the hard part, particularly at the moment, because I was proud of their effort tonight.
“I thought we turned up with a lot more intent and I thought we showed a lot more grit, in defence in particular at different times.
“But their half controlled their game really well when they had to and it was a good lesson for some of our young guys.”
