North teems with real pride and joy for our Cowboys

SO NOW it’s Cowboys Island, instead of Magnetic, not sure then what happens to Horseshoe Bay. And whether Pic Nic becomes Rump Steak Bay.

We must look at this quite seriously, because I hear when the Jubilee Bowls Club are in competitions, they want the Bohle renamed the Bowlers.

Let the renaming story continue, with today’s huge convoy beginning at Tobruk Pool at midday, will we include the newly named Cowboy suburbs of Moonoonba or Cowbutt? I know, I’m taking the term Cowboy Territory a little far but, hey, the council started it.

No doubt we will drive through Wulgumoo and Moondingburra, we certainly won’t bypass Cowajong and Cowlynda Estate, and the wonderfully renamed Moosterton. OK, that’s enough. Hang on, no it’s not. I hope we drive out to Cowboy Court ( that’s the first fair dinkum one) out past Cowdon near the dam, to Cowso.

In truth, I’ve always been rather annoyed when the southern TV hosts call us the “Cows”. We are the Cowboys, and not as southern Queensland media are now saying, “Our Cowboys”.

At one time we were called “the other mob”. Charming. Now all of a sudden we’re yours. No we’re not, we are North Queensland’s Cowboys.

I reckon these great young blokes are playing for Hopevale, Cairns, Mackay, the miners in the Curry, the kids of Doomadgee and the Jardine, and everywhere in between.

We in Townsville are simply blessed they’re here.

They’re here because of the passion and foresight of great men and women many years ago.

These pioneers gave money and time and belief to get us into the NRL, and I’m sure, as we’ve lost a few, they are cheering from up on high right now. Like Shorty McLean and others. I remember the early days of our team, many young first Australian men, and blokes from the cane fields playing together against the game’s big stars.

We would lose, but we cheered like every game was a grand final, and our team was winning.

Every try was the winning try, even if “the other mob” were 20 ahead, we didn’t care, it was our game, our team, our North Queensland.

When no one gave us hope, this team gave us cane bins full of it.

I’m certainly no expert at the game, but when standing at the airport among cheering, happy North Queenslanders, many doing it tough, but forgetting about it all, so they can be there for a team of football players they love, that shows a win already.

Giving wonderful people a day of joy, I saw it, all ages, this team and everyone behind the team in the offices and in the years gone by, you all did this.

And in this dry city in paradise, you may say, there’s more than one sort of green we want.

Happy Cowboy Days!