Pass on Pride was curious

THE NQ Cowboys’ sudden interest in taking over the Pride licence and then just-as-quick decision to walk away has been a curious play.

Tasked by the powers that be in Townsville HQ, Cowboys football manager Peter Parr and Co conducted due diligence with FNQ sponsors and community stakeholders to determine if such a move would be welcome, beneficial and of course financially viable.

Meetings were made, conversations had. This week it was revealed the Cowboys would shelve any plans for a takeover of its Far Northern feeder team for now citing some legal issues around a relationship between a NRL team (Cowboys) and the QRL-playing Pride. It all seems a big to-do for nothing. Northern Pride chairman Tony Williamson has maintained the club is strong financially and wasn’t relying on the Cowboys for a bailout. The deal instead would have brought benefits in terms of player progression, talent identification and administration.

The Cairns Post’s reader survey showed people were split with 51 per cent supporting a Cowboys takeover.

It’s an expensive business putting a NRL team on the park but the Cowboys have made a good fist of it. However, there has long been criticism that the NQ Cowboys are just that — North Queensland.

Their baulking at the Far Northern gate would have been watched with interest. Perhaps there is fertile ground after all for Mayor Bob Manning’s concept of a Cairns-Papua New Guinea partnership to grow. Editor Jennifer Spilsbury