It may be the only way North Queensland can defend their NRL premiership but Johnathan Thurston believes a team can win this years competition from outside the top four.The Cowboys (28pts) sit fifth, four points behind fourth-placed Canterbury (32) after a three-game losing run that has put their hopes of back-to-back titles in jeopardy.It means to reach the top four, North Queensland essentially need to win their final three regular season matches and hope the Bulldogs drop at least two of their games.No team has won the title from outside the top four since Canterbury in 1995.Despite being the stand-out performers all year Melbourne and Cronulla have both stumbled in recent weeks while third-placed Canberra are untested in finals.The Cowboys are in a slump while grand finalists Brisbane have slumped from first to sixth after a poor run of form.Its left the title race wide open and Thurston can see no reason why a team from outside the top four cant be lifting the Provan-Summons trophy on October 2.The Raiders had a good win, obviously the Titans had a good win as well, Thurston said.Do I believe a team from outside the four can win the comp? I do. The competitions that tight and its that even. Any team can beat anyone on their day.Despite their recent slump, Thurston is confident the Cowboys arent far away from re-discovering their mojo.Its a feeling coach Paul Green also shares.Theres plenty of accountability and thats what you want to see when you dont play up to scratch, Green said.Itll come back when were prepared to fight hard to get it to come back. Air Jordan 1 Retro . John Lucas, signed as a mentor for rookie Trey Burke, showed he can score if required, scoring 12 points of his 16 points in the second quarter as Utah built an 18-point lead. Air Jordan 1 Outlet . Louis. To which I would say two things: 1. Where there is smoke, there is or perhaps has been a little fire. Or, in other words, the two teams would appear to have at least spoken. And spoken is defined as one calling the other to inquire, no more, no less. https://www.cheapairjordan1outlet.com/ .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Air Jordan 1 From China . A knee to the thigh might have stung him the most, but his sixth straight double-double made up for the brief burst of pain. Fake Air Jordan 1 . Ferrer, trying to win his fourth title on Mexican soil, will next play South Africas Kevin Anderson, who eliminated American Sam Querrey,7-6 (2), 6-4. Also Wednesday, Gilles Simon (6) of France beat Donald Young of the United States 6-4, 6-3, Ukraines Alexandr Dolgopolov downed Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 6-4 and Croatias Ivo Karlovic defeated Dudi Sela of Israel 7-6 (4), 6-2. While Australia capitulated at the WACA and then collapsed at Bellerive, both India and England prospered in Rajkot.The implications of these scenarios are many and varied. Australia are in distinct trouble against South Africa, and unless this trend is reversed quickly, the selectors face the prospect of wholesale changes for the upcoming series against an improved Pakistan outfit.Australia then face a tough tour of India, a playground where they have recently experienced more recriminations than celebrations, followed by a visit from England next summer. To say the next few weeks are crucial to Australian cricket is akin to saying the world awaits Donald Trumps presidency with bated breath.Most of Australias recent failures have stemmed from poor batting displays, but the inability to keep fast bowlers fit for duty is shaping to be just as big a problem.A short while ago it appeared Australias pace bowling future was bright, with Mitchell Starc, James Pattinson and Pat Cummins all capable of swinging the ball at genuine pace, while Josh Hazlewood and Peter Siddle provided consistently probing spells. In addition, there were other hopefuls with pace and talent at the Shield level who promised adequate back-up in case of the odd injury. Since then there has been a string of injuries as long as the sartorius muscle, which leaves Starc and Hazlewood as the last men standing. Its a bleak picture that provides skipper Steven Smith with a migraine-style headache and the administrators with many questions to answer.When a team has lost four Tests in succession - three of them from virtually impregnable positions - there are bound to be questions about the captains right to retain the job. However, the job of the Australian captain has been made increasingly difficult over the years by some questionable administrative decisions.In 2011, I told the Argus review: I dont think the system allows you to captain Australia properly. There are too many people to tell to get stuffed. At least when I was skipper, you only had to tell the manager to butt out if he wanted to stick his nose into the cricket side of the business.dddddddddddd.With that said, the Argus review recommended an additional layer of management and even more impediment to good captaincy.Smiths job has been made infinitely harder than mine ever was. At least I was in control of my own destiny, which is a must when all the wins and losses go against your name. Smith doesnt have that luxury and hes also impeded by a development system that is faltering, bordering on total engine failure.Cricket Australia held the Argus review and another one into the safety of the game following the tragic death of Phil Hughes. However, it hasnt addressed the failure of a system that should provide selectors with a production line of successful young batsmen from first-class cricket. The current system has been an abject failure for at least a decade, mainly providing a string of journeymen and ageing debutants, and yet, nothing seems to change.Actually, thats not exactly true. There are more coaches, more theories on how to play spin bowling, and fewer overseas successes. While the failures in India, England and Sri Lanka were treated with an out of sight, out of mind approach by the public, the inability to cope with a weakened South African attack on a reasonable WACA surface has shone a fierce spotlight on Australias batting frailty.India, on the other hand, have a plentiful supply of talented and technically efficient young batsmen. England, who used to eschew selecting youth as though that would inflict a plague on the side, have blooded two young batting hopefuls on the tour of Bangladesh and India.Australia are now at the point where the ageing-debutant policy is a proven failure and they will be forced to choose a few younger batsmen on a speculative basis.With a tour of India and a tough home series against England looming, this is not ideal. It could go one of two ways: either itll be a triumph for youth or cause the pain often felt in seeking longer-term success. ' ' '