Ready to earn spurs

ASKS NEW COWBOYS CEO GREG TONNER ABOUT THE ROAD AHEAD FOR NORTH QUEENSLAND. EW North Queensland Cowboys chief executive Greg Tonner’s work started a long time before he walked in the door at the club’s Kirwan headquarters.

Townsville born, raised and educated, Tonner started his role at the North Queensland NRL club last week after 23 years working away, including time in the telecommunications and IT sector in Sydney.

He was appointed to the chief executive’s role in February following the resignation of Peter Jourdain and used his time in Sydney to meet with officials from the NRL and other corporate leaders.

“I’ve had four months so the approach was to meet the senior leadership team and the players and I’ve been doing that,” he said.

“Where I’ve used my time down south is to meet with the NRL and corporates and other business who are touching sport or who are aligned in certain aspects.

“Arriving here, it’s about using my big ears to listen and hear what is going on and understand the momentum that is being built.”

Now that he’s at the club, Tonner said his primary focus was to make contact with the members, communities, sponsors and other people who made up the Cowboys family across the region.

“The plan is to get out and about through the whole region and to Mackay, Cairns and in between out to Mount Isa and we’re doing a schedule now,” Tonner said.

“I really want to go out and meet our members, our community, stakeholders and sponsors who are the people who make our club.”

Tonner said he was enjoying being back home and wanted to build on the good financial work of former chief executive Jourdain in the last few years and continue to make the Cowboys a nationally recognised brand.

“I’m from a finance background as well and I want to continue his strong financial focus and then go out in the community,” he said.

Tonner, whose wife Vicki and two daughters Eloise and Amelia will be moving to North Queensland in September, said working towards a new stadium was a priority in his new job.

“To have a modern stadium in North Queensland and what that can generate for events in the community and what we can showcase here is great,” he said.

“Also we need to share the infrastructure budgets that have been put out.

“Also making sure the game days here at 1300SMILES Stadium are world class.”