STORM TROOPER
TOWNSVILLE- BORN Captain Raoul Cernaz, of Joint Task Force 633, will be cheering on the Cowboys from Australia’s main operating base in the Middle East.
Capt Cernaz now lives in Sydney but maintains membership of the club he has followed since it joined the national competition in 1995.
“We’ll get to watch it about lunch time so hopefully they’ll be a good crowd and the more the merrier on the bandwagon to support the Cowboys,” he said.
THE devotion North Queensland Cowboys fans have for their boys in the blue, grey and yellow knows no international borders.
For the hundreds of Australian Defence Force personnel deployed across the Middle East, the Cowboys’ never- saydie spirit boosts morale.
Captain Raoul Cernaz of Joint Task Force 633 at Australia’s main operating base in the Middle East Region has long been a Cowboys fan.
“I was born and bred in Townsville so my dad used to take me to the games from 1995 onwards,” he said. “My support for the Cowboys has grown even more since.
“I was back in Townsville for the 2005 grand final and that was a very special event for the Townsville community, and even though they lost, they came into their own.”
Following multiple postings to Townsville, Capt Cernaz has lived in Sydney for the past six years, a move that actually led to seeing even more of his beloved Cowboys.
“I’m a Cowboys away member and I always got to the games travelling down to Wollongong, out to Penrith, over to ANZ and Alliance Stadiums, just to provide that extra support to the boys while they were in Sydney,” he said.
“We have a big group of us that travel to all the games.”
Capt Cernaz had been scheduled to be back home in Australia for the NRL final series and was planning to attend the grand final which he was looking forward to after having seen the Cowboys claim their maiden premiership in 2015.
But instead, he will be relying on a good satellite connection to enjoy the game with other supporters and “band wagoners”, who will be willing on a Melbourne Storm defeat.
“I’ve got my jersey and Cowboys gear,” he said.
“We’ll get to watch it about lunch time so hopefully they’ll be a good crowd and the more the merrier on the bandwagon to support the Cowboys.
“I’ve seen a couple of Melbourne Storm singlets getting around and it was quite rewarding to see the Eels and Roosters supporters fade away after their teams lost out of the finals, but the rivalry is all healthy and all good fun.”
Capt Cernaz is predicting a 20- 16 Cowboys victory in the final minute.