COWS PASS ON PRIDE
THE past 48 hours have been eventful for the Northern Pride: discussions with North Queensland Cowboys to take on the club’s licence have been shelved and troubled former NRL playmaker Todd Carney has signed on with the UK’s Super League while still under contract with the Cairns state league team.
Negotiations with the Cowboys have been ongoing since May and the Townsville club prepared a feasibility study to present to their board in June after consulting with sponsors and community stakeholders.
People responding to the Your Say on the Far North Reader Survey by the Cairns Post are divided about the Cowboys taking over the Pride licence with 51 per cent in favour and 49 per cent against.
Cowboys football manager Peter Parr insisted the NRL club would continue to work with the Pride about a possible licence takeover in the future.
“The QRL holds the licence of the Pride,” he said.
“We haven’t ruled out taking on the licence at some stage but we want the best option for the team.
“We have a healthy relationship with the Pride, there are a lot of people working together to ensure the Pride is as successful as it can be.”
Northern Pride chairman Tony Williamson yesterday confirmed that discussions had been put on ice until at least 2019.
“We had conditions regarding maintaining the management of the organisation and the legacy of the club,” he said.
“The Cowboys have agreed to all that and it went to their board last week. Their chairman told me (yesterday) it wasn’t happening.”
If the bid for the Cowboys to take over the licence had gone ahead, the Pride – running on a 100 per cent sponsorship and revenue model without the backing of a leagues club – would have been able to tap into the Cowboys’ infrastructure.
“If we aligned ourselves closer to the Cowboys we could benefit from that synergy,” Mr Williamson said.
“There were some legal issues regarding the Cowboys playing NRL and the Pride playing QRL and that was a concern for their board – I thought they could be worked through.
“Because it hasn’t been done in Queensland the precedent hasn’t been set.
“They would be the first NRL club to do it.”
He played down any suggestion the Pride would struggle without the Townsville club.
“The Pride is in a strong position,” Mr Williamson said.
“This wasn’t a bailout, this was a way to move close to the Cowboys so we could benefit from the organisation.”
Earlier this week UK media revealed that former Dally M medallist halfback Todd Carney had signed a short-term deal with lowly English Super League side Hull KR – 10th on the Super League ladder.
Pride is yet to decide whether to release Carney.
“I am waiting for the board to get back to me,” Mr Williamson said.
“We told his manager we were still disappointed.
“We are still waiting to see what the board’s decision will be.”
He confirmed the Pride asked for $15,000 to release Carney from the last 2½ years of his contract.