After his 2018 season was cut short by a ruptured bicep, Michael Morgan was a player with a point to prove in 2019.

The 27-year-old was named Johnathan Thurston and Matt Scott’s successor as Cowboys captain by head coach Paul Green late in the pre-season, with Jordan McLean appointed his vice-captain.

While he did battle concussions at two different points in the season, the stats show Morgan was again one of the NRL’s premier playmakers.

He finished sixth in the competition with 16 try assists and was one of only three players alongside Daly Cherry-Evans and James Maloney to kick three or more 40-20s. Morgan finished just outside the top 10 for total kick metres with just short of 6000 at a clip off 295 metres a game.

Morgan’s best performance of the season came in a heartbreaking loss to the Wests Tigers in Round 14. The Cowboys half scored a try, set up two others and also registered a line-break assist, three tackle-breaks and 22 tackles.

The Townsville Brothers junior also retained his spot in the Queensland State of Origin side for all three games of the series.

2019 stats

Games: 20

Tries: 2

Try assists: 16

Line-break assists: 12

Tackle breaks: 46

Average run metres: 71

Average kick metres: 295

40-20s: 3

Average tackles: 17