Cowboys fullback Scott Drinkwater hopes Dean Young will be the Dragons\u2019 permanent coach when he joins the club next season after they formed a tight bond together in North Queensland. <\/p>\n
Young joined the Cowboys as an assistant coach in 2021 and is starting to turn things around at the Dragons since taking over as interim coach.<\/p>\n
They\u2019ve won two of their past five matches and should have won a couple more during that stretch, with Young getting the best out of the wooden spoon favourites after their horror start to the year.<\/p>\n
He is the favourite to get the full-time job next year, with fellow club legend Ben Hornby also in the mix.<\/p>\n
Drinkwater has been impressed with what he\u2019s seen from the Red V in recent weeks and would love to be coached by Young.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do watch a little bit closely now,\u201d he told the NewsWire, with Drinkwater set to join the Dragons on a three-year deal. <\/p>\n
\u201cYoungy\u2019s picking players who are defensive effort-based players and who go after the game that way. They\u2019re in games a lot now and it\u2019s much tighter than what they have been. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a great coach and I hope he gets the job.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe way he\u2019s able to talk to his players is great and he has a good relationship with players. He understands different players and how they need to be approached or brought up in video sessions or even just one-on-one with him. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a good dude, hard, and a good communicator, so he\u2019s got every trait. He\u2019s from Wollongong, loves the club, so it\u2019s great to have people who have a really big love for something. <\/p>\n
\u201cFingers crossed he gets it. But if not, I can\u2019t dwell on it. Whoever comes in to coach, I can\u2019t be sulking about that. We\u2019ll see what happens, but fingers crossed Youngy gets it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The fullback said it was \u201ceasy\u201d to stay focused on his job in Townsville despite having already signed elsewhere. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been here for eight seasons. Some of my best mates are in this team and I\u2019ve played a lot of footy with them, so turning up every week and playing footy with them is still fun,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere are no dramas about what\u2019s going on next year. We\u2019ve got something special going on here if we can keep playing footy. I just take it as it comes. <\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, I don\u2019t have too much longer as a Cowboy, but I love being one. It\u2019s easy just to turn up, and I want to win games.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got a job to do here, and they\u2019ve got a job to do there in their season. Other than trying to find some daycares and houses, that\u2019s all we\u2019ve had a chat about. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo if anyone in Wollongong want to look after my kids during the week for a daycare, come find my number.\u201d<\/p>\n
Drinkwater will provide the attacking spark that the Dragons have sorely lacked, with Keaon Koloamatangi to serve as the veteran leader in a quality young pack that has impressed everyone this year. <\/p>\n
Luke Metcalf, Connor Watson and Phil Sami will add class in their positions as well, but Drinkwater looms as the marquee man after he showed his worth with a clutch field goal in golden point to sink Manly on Sunday afternoon. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt was cool. It was nice to hit it sweet. It was a bit of an adrenaline rush, maybe a bit of a relief as well,\u201d he said after his magic moment.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m confident, so I\u2019ll always back myself. To be able to execute plays, you\u2019ve got to back yourself and be confident, and I have that in bucket loads. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got some sweet hitters of the footy. \u2018Cliffo\u2019 (Jake Clifford) can hit a nice field goal from deep.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut just as the game was going tonight, I felt like my involvements were getting stronger and I was playing well. I told the boys in golden point that I wanted the kick. I back myself, and more times than not if you back yourself (good things happen).\u201d<\/p>\n
The Cowboys are back in the top eight and take on a Dolphins side that is coming off a 66-0 shellacking, and they should get Tom Dearden back from a lengthy injury lay-off.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, well hopefully,\u201d Drinkwater smiled. <\/p>\n
\u201cWho knows what\u2019s going on with Tommy? I thought he was back the last four weeks, so we\u2019ll see what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n