BIG MAL MEETS WITH BLACKHAWKS
AUSTRALIAN Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga has not ruled out having another Cowboys player in the green and gold this year.
Meninga was guest of honour at last night’s Townsville Blackhawks season launch, where more than 200 guests were treated to a speech from Meninga highlighting his career journey and expectations for this year’s Rugby League World Cup. Meninga said Cowboys second- rower Ethan Lowe had every possibility of gaining further representative honours following a breakout season last year, and said Michael Morgan had virtually sealed his Kangaroos’ incumbency.
“Younger players like Ethan Lowe are an example of the younger guys at the Cowboys who will be putting their hands up at the back end of the year,” Meninga said.
“They’re all quality players and it will be interesting to see how they go.
“Justin O’Neill is an asset as well and I’m hoping he kicks off the season really well.”
Meninga also revealed he had buried the hatchet with Wayne Bennett, with whom he had a public spat last year.
“It’s all good. We had a bit of a yarn overseas, we’re good mates and we’re heading in the right direction,” he said.
The biggest moment for the Blackhawks last night came before official proceedings when Meninga held a private leadership seminar with the club’s players.
“I don’t think there would be any better man to have here than Mal Meninga,” Blackhawks operations man- ager Adrian Thomson said. “He has adopted a lot of great policies in regards to leadership with Australia and Queensland, and they are things we want to inspire to.
“We really wanted him to come along, with it being a World Cup year, and Mal was more than willing to be here.”
The Blackhawks play their first game of the season next Sunday against the North Devils in Brisbane, followed by a TV game against the Ipswich Jets on March 12 and then their first home game on March 18 against the Mackay Cutters.
Backing up from an injury- plagued 2016 campaign that still resulted in reaching the ISC semi- finals, the Blackhawks have recruited a host of new players following the departures of big names including Jahrome Hughes, Moses Pangai, Rhyse Martin and Delouise Hoeter.
A total of 11 new players, including fullback Carlin Anderson and English forward Lee Jewitt were fielded in the Blackhawks 21- man team that played last week’s trial against a composite Cowboys’ team.
“The season launch kicks everything off nicely,” Thomson said.