‘We’re not sure’: Cowboys might be minus Merritt for whole Group 11 season

The Group 11 club spruiked the signatures of both former NRL flier Nathan Merritt and ex-Newcastle Knights powerhouse Timana Tahu in the off-season before the latter revealed his role was primarily an off-field one designed to help the club’s players and supporters welfare-wise.

With Merritt set to play in the centres, all eyes have been on Wellington to start the 2018 Group 11 season and while the Cowboys have been impressive in patches throughout victories over Nyngan and Westside, both have been minus their big name off-season recruit.

Ryan said the South Sydney Rabbitohs all-time leading try-scorer was sorting through some family issues at home in Sydney and the Wellington club was prepared to support Merritt in doing so – even if he doesn’t play a game for the club this season.

“I’m not too sure,” Ryan said when asked when Merritt was likely to play for Wellington.

“He’s having some family issues. We’re just supporting him the best way we can to look after him and make sure his welfare is good.

“Family and welfare comes before footy. We just all hope he comes good and we seem him around semi-final time.”

Wellington’s start to the season has been, if you ask Ryan, “tremendous” following consecutive wins in round one and two.

The Cowboys are eyeing off wins in the opening three games of the season and head to Parkes to tackle the Spacemen this weekend “fired-up” to ensure that happens.

After that, it’s off to Dubbo to face the premiers, and Ryan is unabashed when he says he wants the Cowboys to be playing at the same level as the all-conquering Fishies.

“We want to be a top two side,” he said.

“What we’re priding ourselves on is our defence, and I’m disappointed in (that after leaking 20 points against Westside).

“A couple of Westside’s tries were from throwing the ball around and that’s hard to defend.

“We’ll go back to training and take the positives out of it and the negatives and keep working harder.”

The Cowboys should welcome back Richard Peckham and Ben McGregor for next week’s clash with the Spacemen.