Sidelines

[Retread]

Cowboys back-rower Jacob Lillyman has been told by the club he can test the market but that does not mean his days in Townsville are numbered.
It just means the Cowboys do not want to pay what he is asking.
If no other club is prepared to pay that amount and the price is lowered then the Cowboys may be back in the picture.


Following his appointment to the Cowboys coaching staff this week, Paul Bowman's Game Guide feature, in which he analysed North Queensland's games, will no longer appear in the Bulletin.
Bowman will still write a Game Guide for the next two State of Origin matches.
They will appear in the Bulletin on the day of both matches.

[Retread]

Conclurry to host bush showdown
RAY ANDERSEN

MID West will defend their crown at the annual Queensland Rugby League Outback Carnival in Cloncurry this weekend.
Mid West, made up of players from Normanton, Hughenden, Cloncurry, Richmond and Julia Creek, will take on teams representing Mount Isa, Central West and South West.
After the carnival, a Queensland Outback team will be selected to take on New South Wales Outback in Winton on July 26.
Queensland Rugby League managing director Ross Livermore said the Outback Carnival had grown in profile every year since its inception three years ago.

[Retread]

Should JT go back to No. 6?
RAY ANDERSEN
14Jun08

Johnathan Thurston


THE return to form of Johnathan Thurston for Queensland on Wednesday night has some calling for his return to five-eighth on a permanent basis.
Thurston came to the Cowboys from the Bulldogs as a five-eighth but was moved to halfback by then coach Graham Murray and has since won two Dally M awards and gone on to play for Queensland and Australia in that position.
But there is a school of thought that because he is such a dangerous runner he is better suited being a little wider in the No. 6 jersey.
Although he wore six on Wednesday night he still looked to be running things for Queensland, as a halfback would, with Scott Prince playing a secondary role.
According to match statistics, Thurston received the ball 55 times to Prince's 43.
The fact Prince was in the team is what made Thurston looked more comfortable.
With another recognised kicker and playmaker beside him, Thurston's burden was eased and it freed him up to play his natural game.
If the Cowboys can come up with a similar option, especially while Matt Bowen remains injured, Thurston may also start finding his best form at club level too.


IT took longer than usual to write this column as it is almost impossible to type while holding a tissue in one hand.
The tears began flowing after I read in a Sydney newspaper how New South Wales were robbed on Wednesday night because of Tony Archer's refereeing.
I spent all Thursday feeling quite good about the world after the Maroons produced a stunning turnaround to beat the Blues 30-0.
But yesterday I learned it should never have been.
Queensland did not win, rather the Blues lost because of that man with the whistle.
According to that Sydney newspaper, Archer made eight wrong decisions which benefited the home team.
To back up its claims the paper had photographic evidence on its website – just like a prosecutor presenting `Exhibit A', `Exhibit B' etcetera.
The paper claimed Archer had reacted to a week-long campaign by Queensland to get him to change his style from game one (where I assume he must have favoured New South Wales but the paper did not make that clear).
Apparently Archer missed knock-ons, forward passes, strips of the ball and failed to police the ruck correctly.
They did everything but dub it `Archergate' or `Refgate', which would have meant the newspaper considered it to be a scandal of the highest order.
It's all very sad.
Oops, I've dropped my tissue.

[Retread]

Townsville and Cairns will do battle for the Foley Shield tonight but the winners won't get their hands on the prize for some time.
The trophy is out of town on special duties and will not be at the Sports Reserve tonight for the traditional presentation to the winning captain.
The Foley Shield is being featured in the National Museum of Australia's League of Legends exhibition which is being held as part of the centenary of rugby league celebrations.
The travelling exhibition is now in Brisbane until early August.
It will be in Townsville, at the Museum of Tropical Queensland, from December until March next year.

[Retread]

Thurston's on-field guile knows no bounds
JOSH ALSTON
25Jun08

COWBOYS skipper Johnathan Thurston has endured quite a bit this season.
First coming back from a double shoulder reconstruction, then copping often unnecessary criticism over his form and twice having to take the field battling the effects of the flu.
He did so again against the Storm on Saturday night, and produced one of the most unorthodox and crafty displays of the year.
He threw every trick in the book at the premiers and was the major reason the Cowboys only trailed by two points at halftime.
From the very first kick-off, he took Melbourne by surprise with a towering, rugby union-style short kick that allowed the Cowboys to regain possession.
He would go on to do this twice more in the game.
He also perfected a low, punching kick-off that found the sideline 20m into Storm territory, again giving the Cowboys possession.
His antics did not go unnoticed by referee Bernard Sutton.
At the start of the second half he quipped to the Melbourne players: "Boys, expect something bizarre from this kick-off, I think he's got a few left in him."


PROP Carl Webb can consider himself very unlucky not to be playing in the third State of Origin next Wednesday night.
In recent weeks he has been one of the Cowboys' best and has returned to the sort of form that saw Australian coach Ricky Stuart hand him his maiden Test jumper earlier this year.
And at this stage of the season, he is leading the battle at the club for player-of-the-year honours.
In the weekly 3-2-1 voting system carried out by the club, Webb is one of the front-runners and could easily take out the award at season's end.


DESPITE the Cowboys' bravery on Saturday night, they now carry the unfortunate tag of being the team that has lost the most consecutive games in one season.
In 1999, North Queensland closed their season with a miserable run of seven straight losses.
This year's squad have eclipsed that with a run of eight losses. But stats don't often reflect how a team is really going.
In 1999, the Cowboys weren't just beaten in most of their games, they were flogged by huge margins.
The 2008 Cowboys have nine players missing through injury or suspension but have still managed to come within a few points of most of the teams they have lost to.

[Retread]

North Queensland debutantes bright spot in gloomy season
RAY ANDERSEN
28Jun08

CAIRNS product Brandon Boor and Horn Island's Sam Bowie will become the fourth and fifth Cowboys players to make their NRL debuts in 2008 when they take the field against the Rabbitohs tonight and all have one thing in common &# they are North Queensland products.
Obe Geia hails from Palm Island and Nick Slyney and Greg Byrnes from the Atherton Tableland.
While the Cowboys' season has so far been one to forget the emergence of some home-grown talent is a definite bright spot.


IT has been a big week for rugby league in the Far North with Cairns hosting the Queensland State of Origin team.
It provided a good opportunity for members of the Far North's Team of the Century to come together for a celebration and presentation of commemorative jerseys.
Two members of the current Queensland squad – Billy Slater and Dallas Johnson – were included in the team.
Surprisingly, Slater was selected on the bench with Brent Webb preferred to wear the No. 1 jersey.
The only other player chosen to still be playing was Justin Hodges
Ten of the 17 members of the team were able to attend a dinner at Brothers Leagues Club in Cairns on Wednesday night.
The full team is: Brent Webb (Cairns), Kerry Boustead (Innisfail), Alan Gil (Cairns), Ron Tait (Innisfail), Lionel Williamson (Innisfail), Harold Burns (Cairns), Peter Lazarus (Cairns), Stan Williams (Cairns), Angelo Crema (Tully), Gavin Allen (Cairns), Dan Clifford (Tully), Brian Fitzsimmons (Mareeba), John Eaton (Tablelands). Interchange: Justin Hodges (Cairns), Billy Slater (Innisfail), Dallas Johnson (Herberton), Jack Seary (Cairns).


CENTREBET'S Neil Evans has labelled the clash in Townsville tonight between the Cowboys and Rabbitohs the `Spoon Monsoon'.
Both teams are vying for favouritism to take sport's most unwanted trophy – the wooden spoon.
Evans said there had been good money for Souths at $1.90 to win tonight against the embattled Cowboys, including one bold bet of $20,000.
"While the Cowboys have been well backed into $2.15 wooden spoon favourites, the Rabbitohs are still easily our worst way, so this match will be pivotal in the increasingly popular spoon market," Evans said.


REPORTS that Manly's Jamie Lyon did not want to be selected to play Origin this season are a slap in the face for New South Wales.
A Sydney newspaper report yesterday said Manly insiders claimed Lyon was not interested in the `glitz and glamour' of Origin and just wanted to focus on his club team.
If true, it may sum up the difference between the way Queenslanders and New South Welshmen look at Origin.
For those south of the Tweed River it is not a matter of life or death. For the `nutbag rednecks' from the north it is more important than that.
Proud Maroon Gorden Tallis gave a sense of the differences between players from both states on NRL On Fox this week.
Tallis said growing up in Townsville he put wearing the Queensland jersey at a higher premium than the Australian jersey.
It is hard to imagine any fit Queenslander ruling themselves out of an Origin match.
Look at veterans Petero Civoniceva and Steve Price who are still desperate to play Origin despite having reason to step down after so many years of loyal service.
In recent years the Blues have been keen to point out they have as much passion as Queenslanders when it comes to Origin.
I'm not convinced.

[Retread]

Cows' ace fullback

NORTH QUEENSLAND need a bit of luck on the field, but one Cowboy wasn't short of the stuff off it on Thursday. During a round of golf, Ty Williams hit a hole-in-one. "Hopefully, he takes that into the game," coach Ian Millward said.

[Retread]

NRL clubs taking the long view to player signings
RAY ANDERSEN
July 19th, 2008

NRL clubs are taking a different view with priority player signings.
Clubs are now much keener to lock up players to longer-term deals.
The Cowboys were part of this trend earlier in the year, signing Willie Tonga to a four-season deal.
And late this week the Gold Coast Titans joined in, signing promising prop Michael Henderson to a new three-year deal.
The 24-year-old already was signed until the end of next season so his contract extension will see him stay at the Gold Coast until the end of the 2012 season.


FOR many seasons, Brisbane have been referred to as the `Baby Broncos' whenever they go into matches severely undermanned, usually coinciding with Origin time.
It all stems back to 2002 when an understrength and very young Broncos team, including eight debutants, produced a shock win over the Wests Tigers at Campbelltown.
This week Gold Coast picked up a similar name in the southern media.
They were dubbed the `Toddler Titans', following their win over the Sydney Roosters last weekend minus key players because of injury.
The Cowboys, despite being the victims of a high injury and suspension rate all season, are yet to pick up a similar name.
Maybe they should be referred to as the `Kiddy Cowboys'? Or the `Kindy Cowboys'?
No, we really don't think it works either.


IT has been a season to forget for North Queensland Cowboys fans.
They have watched their team freefall from a preliminary final last season to the bottom of the NRL ladder.
So they should be able to empathise with West Australian AFL supporters.
WA's two teams – the West Coast Eagles and Fremantle Dockers – have two wins apiece going into this weekend's round of matches.
The Dockers are 14th and the Eagles 15th in the 16-team competition.
West Coast's fall has been just as dramatic as the Cowboys, having won the premiership in 2006.
Fremantle also had a successful 2006, reaching a preliminary final.
WA's footy fans have been having flashbacks to 2001 when the Dockers finished last with just two wins and the Eagles were in 14th position.
This season it may be a battle between them to avoid the wooden spoon.
Just like the vast majority of North Queenslanders, West Australians are looking forward to starting from scratch in 2009.

[Retread]

Galloping away with ideas to fix rugby league
RAY ANDERSEN

THE departure of Sonny Bill Williams from the NRL has brought a lot of other issues to the surface, most of which have nothing to do with him deciding to walk out on his contract for rugby union in France.
A forum on Channel Nine's The Footy Show on Thursday night discussed the Williams issue and its ramifications.
Among the suggestions were extending the game to 100 minutes with a 20-minute halftime, getting rid of the salary cap, expanding immediately to places like Adelaide and Perth, reducing the number of interchanges etc, etc.
Most of the suggestions had nothing to do with Williams leaving but were aimed at fixing up a game which is perceived to be struggling and under an increasing threat from other codes in Australia and overseas.
The only person who seemed to be looking at things with a level head was NRL chief David Gallop.
And that is probably a very good thing.


THE Footy Show started by airing a story recorded last Friday, the day before Williams left the country, in which the former Bulldogs superstar and Paul Harragon travelled to country New South Wales to coach an under-10 team.
Williams took the team for some drills and words of advice and was on the sidelines for their match.
One message Williams kept telling the awestruck youngsters was to have fun.
It is a good point to stress.
Maybe playing in the NRL had stopped being fun for Williams.


RUGBY league legend Ron Coote will be in town next weekend to officially launch the Townsville chapter of the Men of League Foundation.
Coote, recently named in the Australian team of the century, is the president of the charity which aims to help former players and officials who have fallen on hard times.
Townsville Men of League committee member Barry Buchanan said having Coote come to the North from Sydney for the afternoon was a real shot in the arm for the foundation.
"He will tell people how it started and what it's all about," he said.
The launch will be held at the Brothers Leagues Club function rooms next Sunday from 12.30pm.
Anyone interested in attending should call Brothers on 4773 6699.


COWBOYS officials will break with tradition tonight and play the national anthem before the Australian Schoolboys-Great Britain Test and not before the Cowboys-Roosters game.

[Retread]

Legends to visit Townsville
RAY ANDERSEN
August 16th, 2008

CRICKET greats Darren Lehmann, Terry Alderman, Greg Blewett, Greg Matthews, Len Pascoe, Ray Bright and Michael Kasprowicz will be part of a legends tour which will visit Townsville in September.
The Australian Cricketers' Association's Masters Tour will include matches against invitational teams and clinics for youngsters.
The Townsville match will played be on September 21 at Endeavour Park, Murray, with a free school holiday clinic at the same venue the following day.


FRESH from officially launching Townsville's chapter of the Men of League Foundation, the charity will hold a membership drive tonight.
Members and organisers will stand by the gates at Dairy Farmers Stadium for anyone interested in joining Men of League for a one-off membership fee of $10.
The charity, which is officially recognised by the Australian Taxation Office, aims to help former players and officials, of all levels, who have fallen on hard times.
New members receive a key ring and a bi-monthly newsletter to inform them of the work being done by the organisation.
While the Men of League has been up and running Australia-wide since 2006, the Townsville chapter officially kicked off at a function last Sunday.
So far they have just over 200 members in the North. HE may not have made a tackle or scored a try but Australian cricket superstar Matt Hayden deserved some of the credit for the Cowboys' drought-breaking win last week.
The opening batsman made a surprise visit into the North Queensland camp the night before their clash with the Bulldogs to offer some words of inspiration.
Hayden spoke to the squad about how he battled through his own times of adversity to become one of the best batsmen in the world.
Relating those experiences to the Cowboys' 2008 season obviously resonated with the players, who went out and spanked the Bulldogs to end their 13-game losing streak.


REDSKINS continued their dominance of the Townsville Castle Hill Touch Association division one men's competition last weekend.
Redskins beat Frogs in the grand final, their fourth premiership in a row.
More incredible was the fact it was the 22nd consecutive year that the Redskins men have been in the grand final.
And veteran Tim Villalba has played in all 22, starting out as a `16 or 17 year-old'. LEGENDARY Far North Queensland triathlete Brad Beven will be the guest competitor at the 10th annual Airlie Beach triathlon on September 13-14.
The Miriwinni product is nearly as famous for training alongside crocodiles in the Russell River in his early days as he is for his achievements in the sport, which include winning four World Cup titles.


THE Cowboys will be represented in the Gods Of Sport calendar to go on sale on September 26.
A selection of players will have their photo shoots next week and will appear in the calendar alongside players from other NRL clubs.
Money raised from the sale of calendars will go towards the McGrath Foundation breast cancer charity.
The calendar can be pre-ordered at http://www.godsoffootball.com.au/.

[Chosen Army]

Originally Posted by Retread

Should JT go back to No. 6?

YESSSSSS

[Retread]

Mark 'The Ear' Oberhardt delivers the sports gossip
Mark Oberhardt

IT was rugby league scout central when Palm Beach Currumbin beat Keebra Park in the Arrive Live Cup. PBC now meets the other league school powerhouse Kirwan High in the semi finals. PBC has Titans whiz Jordan Rankin but his team-mates and Australian schoolboys Ryan James and Ronnie Alovili were attracting as much attention.


INTERESTING to hear the Redland rugby league club wants to move into the QRL colts and FOGS Cup competitions. There are 150,000 people in the area with Aussie rules and soccer already in top comps. It is no secret rugby union is keen to get both Logan and Redland in Premier division. League stalwarts say their code can't be left behind.


CHUCKLES at QRL headquarters when Cronulla coach Ricky Stuart was credited with the "new" idea for 11-a-side rugby league. They point out 11-a-side was suggested by Warren Ryan and Dennis Ward 10 years ago. A trial game was held in 1998 between under 17 teams from Burleigh Heads and Runaway Bay. And the Bundaberg Rugby League has been playing 11-a-side in reserve grade for eight years.


SEVERAL readers asked why when Cowboys winger Ty Williams crossed the line against Newcastle last week he threw the ball to Aaron Payne for a simple try. Apparently, Payne hadn't scored a meat pie for two seasons. Williams can afford to be generous – his 72 career tries makes him No.3 on the Cowboys all time list.


THEY are a strange lot in Sydney. One of our men says he is actually looking forward to interviewing Wayne Bennett on a weekly basis at St George Illawarra next year. All we can say is good luck.


RUMBLINGS in Wizard Cup ranks with semi finals sides still losing players to the NRL for vital games. For instances Souths Logan were without star Nigel Plum for the elimination final.


FROM THE SIDELINES: The Cowboys are struggling but their fans remain passionate. In the District Court last week, a man was sentenced to a wholly suspended nine months jail term for breaking the arm of another Cowboys fan. The court heard it followed an argument about the performances of the Cowboys.

[Retread]

Sidelines

NEXT week is a nervous time for the chief executives of eight NRL clubs.
They will be the ones hoping they don't get a phone call informing them one of their players has taken `Mad Monday' celebrations too far.
It was surprising to see Melbourne chief executive Brian Waldron this week offering Penrith two kegs of beer and a case of bourbon if they beat Manly today.
A Panthers win over Manly would give the Storm a big chance to win the minor premiership.
We all know that players let their hair down at the end of the season but to have a chief executive openly encouraging a booze-up was not a good look and would not have gone over too well at NRL headquarters.
He did add `as long as they drink it responsibly'.
Put together a team of rugby league players, two kegs of beer and a case of bourbon and I don't think the word responsible will get much of a look in.

[Retread]

Mark Oberhardt gives the lowdown on sport

THE whisper is a roar Broncos skipper Darren Lockyer will do a Michael Voss and coach the club after serving an apprenticeship as an assistant in 2010.


RUMOURS won't go away Northern Pride rugby league coach Andrew Dunemann is being chased by several NRL clubs. But the Pride is very confident he will be back.


ON NOTICE: Unluckiest random breath-test policeman when he pulled over a motorist last Sunday. We hear it was Australia's most famous teetotaller Wayne Bennett, who hasn't had a drink in his 58 years.


TRUTH HURTS: An amazing response when I mentioned on 4BC last week how important departing Bronco Wayne Bennett was to the Brisbane media and rugby league's image in general. As I said Bennett had been mentioned 10,318 times in the Courier Mail and Sunday Mail alone since he took the Broncos' reins two decades ago. It equates to 1 1/2 times every day in that period. In the same time Queen Elizabeth 11 got 4005 mentions. A swag of readers-listeners contacted us to say just how much they will miss Benny. He is one of a kind. Anyway, if the Sydney spivs think Benny isn't used to living in a gold fish bowl – well, they are in for a big shock.

[Retread]

League's off-field dramas come at worst time
RAY ANDERSEN
September 20th, 2008

HOW long will it be before the series of black eyes rugby league has copped in recent times start having a real effect on the game?
Rugby league takes pride in its ability to ride out on and off-field controversies and still maintain its position as a major winter sport, in Queensland and New South Wales at least.
But surely there will come a point when the off-field controversies will take their toll.
The sport attracts huge media coverage which helps it maintain its profile and therefore makes it attractive for sponsors.
However, the continued tarnishing of the game's image could see existing and potential sponsors re-evaluating the value of being associated with the game.


BRONCOS chief executive Bruno Cullen was clutching at straws this week when he went on the front foot and accused the media of operating under a double standard.
Cullen claimed the focus on the club and its players was way over the top and cited the scant coverage given to the captain of the Queensland Firebirds netball team who was recently charged with drink-driving as an example.
"There was a postage-stamp-size article about a captain of a high-profile sporting team being charged with drink-driving ... that's all I've seen of that," Cullen told ABC Radio this week.
"It just makes you wonder about ... this feeding frenzy when a captain of a state team gets booked for drink-driving and it (appears) on page 40.
"If that was one of our lowest graded players, it would be front-page news and probably on ABC TV."
The fact is media outlets judge their coverage of events based on public interest.
Outside the netball fraternity there would be a very limited number of people who would know who Peta Stephens was.
High-profile NRL players fall into a totally different category and Cullen, I would hope, knows that as well as anyone.

[Retread]

THE Broncos probably wish they were this low key in Brisbane. My man in London, Tim Arvier, reports British TV replayed the game at 3am and advertised it as : "Australian NRL semi-final as the Brisbane Lions host Melbourne Storm."


DIARY DATES: Valley Diehards reunion is on October 3, at Valleys Juniors, the Grange.There will be special celebrations for the 1958 B and C grade, 1968 club champions, 1978 A grade runners-up, 1988 A-grade and 1988 under 18 A premiership teams but all are welcome. Ph Ron Gurnett 0418 190109 or Shane Kelly 0438 118 592.


MEMORIES of rugby league's fastest player Ken Irvine, will be revived in Sydney on December 12 with the running of the inaugural North Sydney Athletics Carnival. The Rugby Leagues Fastest Man Sprint over 100 yards carries a $10 000 purse with a bonus of $2000 if any first grade player can equal or break Ken Irvine's world record of 9.3 seconds set in 1963.


BRONCOS boss Bruno Cullen deserves some sort of award for keeping a straight face when blaming the media for his club's problems and comparing their disgraceful behaviour with a netballer going 0.06 for drink driving.


BRISBANE isn't far off getting a NRL grand final. We know you have heard it before but if you can get on for 2012 have a little something on it.


GOOD judges say the Broncos made a mistake in letting goal kicking five-eighth Jared Kahu move north to the Cowboys.


TRUTH HURTS: Gee, some readers have long memories after several reminded me that last December I wrote: "Unlike some columnists, The Ear isn't a hypocrite and doesn't out drunken footballers by name. But one young star is sailing very, very close to the wind after his performance at a near city hotel." In the light of recent events it is no surprise who I was talking about and at which hotel. But it does raise the question whether the media should be the moral judges of sports people. Had I named the player would it have stopped him getting into far deeper hot water this week? I doubt it but others disagree with me in a big way. Anyway, if we were hearing the stories surely someone at his club must have and it should have been up to them to act.

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/s...014143,00.html

[Retread]

Sea Eagles sentimental favourites
RAY ANDERSEN
October 4th, 2008

MANLY will go into tomorrow's NRL grand final as the sentimental favourites. The Sea Eagles are traditionally one of those teams rival supporters love to hate.
But the Storm's behaviour in recent times has seen them elevated to the title of the NRL's most unpopular team.
There have been glimpses of arrogance emanating from Melbourne for some time.
You only have to recall captain Cameron Smith's comments after the Storm beat the Cowboys 48-20 in round 15 this season.
Smith was critical of the Cowboys' tactics of trying to slow the game down and described it as one of the most boring matches he had been associated with.
Since then things have livened up for Smith and the Storm.
His suspension for a grapple tackle means he will miss the grand final and the sprays from coach Craig Bellamy and CEO Brian Waldron at last weekend's infamous post-match media conference are set for a sequel in court.
What effect all this has on the Storm in tomorrow's decider remains to be seen. It could galvanise rather than disrupt the team.
But it has put many fans of other teams in the strange position of cheering for Manly – for one game at least.


THERE are several North Queensland and Cowboys links to tomorrow's grand finals.
In the NRL, the Melbourne team includes former Cowboy Russell Aitken and future North Queenslander Antonio Kaufusi.
And, of course, Melbourne's Billy Slater and Dallas Johnson are North Queensland products.
The New South Wales Cup grand final between Newtown and Wentworthville will feature Townsville product and former Young Guns player Jimmy Andersen playing for the Jets.
The Newtown team also will include Toshio Laesini who had a short stint with the Cowboys.
There also will be Cowboys interest in the Toyota Cup grand final with new recruit Jared Kahu lining up at five-eighth for Brisbane against Canberra.
Kahu was yesterday named in a New Zealand Maori team to play the All Golds in New Plymouth on October 12.
The Maori team includes another Cowboys recruit, Roosters under-20s front-rower James Tamou.
The match is part of the build-up to the Rugby League World Cup which opens in Sydney on October 28.


THE NRL chose a strange time to announce its draw for the 2009 season.
Normally grand final week is left alone with the publicity being generated by the game itself considered enough.
However, the NRL decided to start looking at 2009 before the 2008 season had finished by releasing the draw on Wednesday.
With the Australian World Cup squad to be announced next week, the week after would have been an ideal time to start thinking about '09.

[Retread]

COWBOYS

NEIL Henry will start his reign as Cowboys coach by locking horns with rookie Brisbane mentor Ivan Henjak.
The Cowboys will be the first team - after 21 seasons - to test the Broncos without Wayne Bennett at the helm.
"We and the Broncos have a great rivalry,'' Cowboys chief executive Peter Parr said.
"It's a great way to kick the season off.''

Return date: Nov 10
Biggest signing: Antonio Kaufusi (Storm)
Biggest loss: Jacob Lillyman (Warriors)
Salary cap space:No
Pre-season priority: Getting Johnathan Thurston back unscathed from the World Cup
Round 1: Broncos

[Retread]

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/s...014143,00.html
THE big rumour around league circles is Cronulla bad boy Greg Bird planning to fly north for next winter. The club involved flatly denies it, so we will just put it on record.


THE biggest name, OK the actual biggest guy, in Australian sport, Lasseters betting guru Gerard Daffy, could be the drawcard for the fourth Ticker Masters – the Masters Tiger can't win – at the spectacular Pelican Waters course this next month. I mean you can see other stars Allan Langer, Gorden Tallis, Andrew Gee, Mal Meninga and Ben Ikin hit a ball anytime. But it is not often you get to see a human tank in action. Daffy is backing the Ticker Masters, which sees sportswriters and sportspeople in an end-of-year extravanga.


VALLEYS league legend Marty Scanlan was recovering at home after recent knee surgery, when racehorse trainer and close mate Bruce McLachlan rang. "Marty, your horse got away at the pool this morning. The good news is he is fine and not hurt. The bad news, a strapper caught him on foot," Big Bruce reported.


COWBOYS fans hailing the decision to appoint Kristian Woolf as the club's new U20s coach. Woolf, who will replace inaugural coach Grant Bell, has extensive junior coaching and development credentials.
STORM captain Cameron Smith has handled his obviously very distressing suspension with aplomb (unlike some at the club). They breed them mentally tough in Logan.


IT didn't take them long. Wayne Bennett hasn't even unpacked his bags and already the Sydney media has him facing a potential battle with St George Illawarra strongman Peter Doust. Bring on the 2009 season!

[Retread]

Sidelines

RAY ANDERSEN
October 11th, 2008

STORM chief executive Brian Waldron was upset by fans at last weekend's NRL grand final who booed his sidelined captain Cameron Smith.
Waldron wanted all those fans to apologise for their behaviour.
Late yesterday afternoon only 13 per cent of those fans had done so.


FORMER Cowboys coach Graham Murray is setting out on the public speaking trail.
Murray is available to pass on his rugby league experiences and motivational expertise at community and corporate functions.
Despite ending their partnership under less than ideal circumstances, relations between Murray and the Cowboys administration are still good.
Murray was invited to tonight's Cowboys Presentation Ball but is unable to attend.
Meanwhile, new Cowboys coach Neil Henry arrives in Townsville late next week.


COWBOYS back-rower Luke O'Donnell paid the price for the Cowboys' poor form this season.
How else could you explain his omission from Australia's World Cup squad.
Given several back-rowers were unavailable for selection, it was thought O'Donnell was a good chance of regaining his Test jersey after two years disrupted by injuries and suspension.
However, O'Donnell was overlooked when the team was named this week. He was in good company with Townsville product Sam Thaiday also left out.
Thaiday had arguably his best season for the Broncos and was a strong performer for Queensland during this year's Origin series.
Manly's dominance of last weekend's grand final had a big influence on the squad which includes 13 players from New South Wales and 11 from Queensland.
The Maroons must be mellowing.
In days gone by this would have been met with outrage north of the Tweed given Queensland's recent superior record in State of Origin.

[Retread]

ENGLAND Super League stalwart Stanley Gene is something of a mystery man.
Gene will play his 14th season in England next year after recently signing a new contract with Hull KR.
The Papua New Guinea star is officially listed as being 33 years old.
However, Rugby League Week magazine this week suggested he could be as old as 40 or 41.
Townsville rugby league fans can make their own assessment when he lines up against England in the World Cup opener at Dairy Farmers Stadium next Saturday.
The PNG squad arrives in Townsville on Monday while the England team hits town on Wednesday.
The full PNG squad is to assemble in Cairns today after just under half the team was forced to stay in Port Moresby on Thursday.
Delays with visas meant 11 players in the 24-man squad, and two staff, had to stay behind while the remaining officials and 13 players were allowed to leave for Cairns.



SOMEONE in the Cowboys offices at Dairy Farmers Stadium liked the Townsville Bulletin's `Return of the King' headline on Page 1 yesterday.
Neil `King` Henry arrived at the offices yesterday to music from the Lord Of The Rings soundtrack being pumped through speakers.
For those not familiar with Middle Earth, the final film of the trilogy was called The Return Of The King.

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SIDELINES
RAY ANDERSEN
November 1st, 2008

THERE may have only been a little under 11,000 at last weekend's Rugby League World Cup clash between Papua New Guinea and England but the atmosphere generated was great.
The celebrations of the players and fans when PNG scored their first try was such that you could have been excused for thinking they had won the tournament.
Being placed in a pool that includes Australia, England and New Zealand means the Kumuls are little hope of advancing to the next round.
And that does not seem fair.
Their performance against one of the `big three' last weekend was impressive and, with a little luck, could have pulled of one of sport's biggest upsets.


ENGLAND hooker James Roby was named man of the match in the clash but the outstanding performer was their prop James Graham.
Statistics from the match show why he is regarded as one of the game's most promising forwards.
The winner of this year's Man Of Steel award for best player in the English Super League finished the game with 22 runs for 182m gained and five offloads.
It will be interesting to see how he measures up against the Australians tomorrow night.


THE break Johnathan Thurston had between the Cowboys' season ending and the World Cup starting looks to have done the halfback a lot of good.
Before picking up a shoulder problem against New Zealand last weekend he was moving much more freely than in the latter stages of the NRL season. His performance was one of his most composed at representative level.

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Footy film to fight thugs

Margo Zlotkowski
© The Cairns Post


Gotcha! CDJRL general manager David Maiden will video games.

FOOTY thugs and abusive parents be warned.
As part of its commitment to stamping out bad behaviour, Cairns District Junior Rugby League is considering filming all matches involving 15 and 16-year-olds next season.
The move comes as the four footy codes – rugby league, Aussie rules, soccer and rugby union – introduce a cross-code ban on misbehaving players and spectators.

CDJRL general manager David Maiden said while there had been only isolated problems, the league was determined to crack down on any on-field and off-field violence.
He revealed officials had started recording "hard evidence" on video at selected games after an on-field brawl at an under-15s match between Mossman and Brothers at Mossman in May.
The stoush – which led to three teenage footballers being suspended and a coach to quit in disgust – came a week after two footy mums got into a punch-up during a game between Edmonton Storm and Central Scorpions at Edmonton.
"That was an isolated incident (at Mossman) where people lost their cool but we’ve really cracked down on violence in the last couple of years and the message seems to be getting across," Mr Maiden said.
Mr Maiden said a cross-code ban would be a good way to ensure rule-breakers did not simply "jump codes".

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THE Cowboys may only have been back in full training less than a week but there are signs they are putting in the hard yards and striving for that extra effort.
Five-eighth Travis Burns had to miss a coaching clinic yesterday after hurting his back lifting weights in the gym this week.
The injury is not considered serious and he should be back on deck next week.


Meanwhile, Steve Southern has slipped behind the pace after two separate operations on his left shoulder during the off-season.
To help him improve his fitness levels, strength and conditioning coach Billy Johnstone is making him walk from his home to all training sessions. The trip takes `Bluey' about 45 minutes.

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PLENTY of informed money for the Cowboys to win the 2009 NRL comp. Could it have something to do with news Matt Bowen should be fit for pre-season trials? He missed 18 games last season.


INTERESTING to see the Cowboys have signed a sponsorship deal with Papua New Guinea based rice manufacturer Trukai Industries. It is one of the largest companies in PNG. There is continuing talk of PNG fielding a team in the NRL and one vital ingredient will be sponsorship. Meanwhile, watch for the Cowboys to continue their push into the Northern Territory.