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Cooper chasing historic ninth try in nine games

When the Cowboys take the field against the Titans on Saturday night, North Queensland's focus will be on sending Johnathan Thurston from the NRL as a winner.

While the spotlight is on JT, second-rower Gavin Cooper could snatch some rugby league history of his own if he scores a try.

A four-pointer would bring his tally to nine tries in the last nine games, which would be unmatched in the history of rugby league for a forward - Cooper last Friday equalled Immortal Frank Burge's benchmark of eight tries in eight games, set for Glebe in 1918.

Cooper even joked that breaking the record would allow him to be an Immortal.

"There's a few lucky easy ones in there, also a couple of tough ones I ran 50 metres for as well," Cooper said.

"[Frankie Burge] is an Immortal, so one plus one equals two doesn't it?" 

 

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Despite this history on the line his teammates Coen Hess and Jordan McLean have done their best to keep the veteran humble.

"I wish I could score as many as that," McLean said, "I don't think I've scored eight tries in my career let alone back to back so hopefully he can go out and do nine this week.

"I don't know what's going on with him, just lucky at the moment, he was just falling over the try line, it's been pretty good."

Hess puts Cooper's success down to the man feeding him the ball, Thurston, and says Cooper just has good timing. 

"I think that's just all Johnno's work, he just gets in the right place at the right time, I kept saying that last year, I was running off Johnno as well," Hess said. 

"Johnno has been hugging the left side of the field so I'll let Coops have his turn and hopefully I can take over next year."

As for the record on the line this weekend, Cooper admitted he hadn't thought about it but isn't sure how it will affect his game. 

"It's nothing you really think about, if I'm at dummy half one metre out from the try line I don't know what I'm going to do," he said.

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