Cowboys skipper Jason Taumalolo said there were “no words” to express what he and his teammates were feeling following the death of Paul Green.
The rugby league legend died at his home in Brisbane on Thursday and tributes have since poured in for the former North Queensland coach.
Green led the Cowboys to a premiership win in 2015, with Jason Taumalolo starting at lock, having been coached by the former representative halfback from 2014 to 2020.
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Taumalolo was the only player on the field on Saturday who was part of the 2015 grand final squad, and he emotionally asked people to speak up no matter how “big or small the issue”.
“It’s been a few days considering what’s happened, no real words to express what’s happened over the last few days,” Taumalolo told the post-match press conference.
“How it has affected people in the rugby league community and families, I can’t imagine what Amanda and the children are going through right now.
“Everyone should have someone to talk to, no matter how big or small the problem, no one should have to carry that pressure with them.
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“We have a tight-knit group and I know rugby league teams have their own little groups, I just hope that if someone is going through something they have someone to talk to about any issues.”
Taumalolo went on to say the loss of his former coach “shocked and shook” the playing group after the club’s 32-18 loss to the Roosters.
“I think everyone deals with loss and grief differently and yeah, I’m not sure about any of the other guys, but everyone is affected differently.”
“I would like to think that we are a very united group and that we are able to talk to each other whether we are going through a difficult time or if we are really difficult.
“But again, I think what’s happened has really shocked and shocked most of us and it’s going to take some time for us to get over it.”
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Cowboys coach Todd Payten echoed Taumalolo’s sentiment, revealing NRL powerbrokers have provided the club with the resources needed to deal with the shock loss.
“The club and the league have been great with the resources they’ve given us as a group,” Payten said.
“My job is to make sure that we look out for each other, that everyone feels comfortable that they can go to me or someone at the club for help.”
During the Cowboys and Roosters clash, both teams wore black armbands to remember Green, who had a lasting impact on both clubs.
Green was Trent Robinson’s assistant in 2013, his first year in charge of the Tricolors club, and they won the top job that year.
Green also played 35 games for the Cowboys and 20 for the Roosters during his glittering 162-game career.
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