BOWMAN BACK WITH WILL TO WIN
VETERAN halfback Nathaniel Bowman says his passion for the Foley Shield is as strong as ever after coming out of rugby league retirement to earn a call-up for the Townsville Stingers.
Bowman is one of the most experienced players in the 25-man Townsville squad, having won the first of his three Foley Shield titles as a teenager in 2002, but when the concept was revived at A-grade level last season he had hung up his boots.
The 36-year-old was coaxed out of retirement this year by new Brothers coach Roy Baira, who has himself earned a reputation for persistent playing comebacks.
Bowman hasn’t missed a beat since returning to the field, helping Brothers to a blistering 3-0 start in the TDRL before guiding City to a 28-12 win over Country last week.
The four-time TDRL premiership-winner admitted he hadn’t planned on playing again when he agreed to a mentoring role with Brothers, but Bowman said he was enjoying the comeback heading into next weekend’s Foley Shield carnival at Townsville Sports Reserve.
“Roy sent me a message last year and asked if I wanted to come and mentor the young halves … and I thought that’d be good because I wasn’t doing anything,” Bowman said. “Then he said: ‘But there’s a catch, I want you to play.’ I said basically if I get fit enough I’ll play and I’ve been training with the boys since last year and enjoying footy.
“I did miss it, but it was a good break. I’ve been playing since basically I was seven and I never had a year off. Last year sort of freshened things up. I came along as a 19-yearold playing in the Foley Shield.
“I’ve always been passionate about the Townsville team for the Foley Shield. I think being back in there now it hasn’t changed even though I’ve been there many times.”
Bowman will be playing alongside young half Sam Martin-savage in the Foley Shield and he said he was excited to keep sharing his knowledge with the next generation.
“He’s someone that I saw play a couple of years ago and being an experienced half I looked at him on the field and thought: ‘ Wow, he’s something special,’ ” Bowman said.
“To get a chance to play with him in the City team he wowed me even more and we’ve got a good combination going there.”
Townsville coach Dave Ackers said Bowman’s experience would give the team a good balance, with 10 players currently in the Blackhawks system alongside a handful of rising stars.
“Someone said the other day that Nathaniel’s older than the Foley Shield, which isn’t true, but he has been around for a while and he’s played Foley Shield for a long time,” Ackers said.
Bowman didn’t want to make a call as to how long his comeback would last, but said he would keep an open mind as long as he still loved being out on the field again.
“If you’re not happy you shouldn’t be there so I’m definitely happy,” he said.