Mixed feelings as era comes to end
COWBOYS legend Paul Bowman has reflected on his fondest club memories as the team prepares for their final game at its original stadium.
Making his first grade debut as a foundation player for the North Queensland Cowboys in 1995, Bowman knows the club more intimately than most.
The former centre played his entire professional career at the club including captaining the side from 2001 until his retirement in 2007.
Bowman remains an integral part of the training staff as head of sports science with the club.
As the club prepares to lock up the 1300SMILES Stadium gates for good, Bowman recalled what it was like in the nervous lead-up to its opening.
“I do remember being up here for a trial and there was a bit of a launch to the public and there was just so much talk of ‘is it going to be done in time?’ and that was just two weeks out from the competition,” he said.
“They really needed the whole community to pull together including the players to lay the turf or they won’t have even had it finished for that first game.”
The Cowboys life member said his time at the club had delivered many fond moments but nothing topped the first year, and it was all thanks to the fans.
“For me it was very special to be involved, there was not much success on the field but we had 20,000-plus turning up every week, which showed the passion and how much the community cared for the side and the region,” Bowman said.
As the team prepares to take on the Canterbury Bulldogs this Thursday in a repeat match up of the club’s first professional game, Bowman said he had mixed feelings about moving to a new home ground.
“I’m not at the moment too sad thinking about it, I just reminisce about the good times,” he said.
“It’s a good feeling that I was lucky enough to play a lot of games here and then still be involved.”
Bowman said there was some regret the club would not be farewelling the stadium with a finals series game but there was plenty of club history to be proud of.
“I don’t think we’ve lost a final here at home so it is a shame,” he said.
“It’s been disappointing this year and probably last year as well but in terms of where we’ve come from people probably forget the first year (1995) we won only two games.”