COWBOYS TOUGH TEST TO START SEASON
COWBOYS START 2021 ON THE ROAD
NORTH Queensland coach Todd Payten will face a baptism of fire in his first game as an NRL head coach when the club hits the road to Sydney to face Penrith Panthers.
The Townsville Bulletin can reveal the Cowboys will play the 2020 grand finalists in the club’s season opener which is expected to be played on Saturday, March 13.
Cowboys fans won’t have to wait long to see their side in action with assistant coach Dean Young set to face his former club, St George-illawarra, at Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Round 2.
It will almost be a relaunch for the Cowboys state-of-the-art stadium which was only able to be filled once in 2020 during the season opener against the Broncos. The full draw will be released by the NRL today.
NORTH Queensland assistant coach Dean Young will not have to wait long to see the ‘Red V’ again when he faces off against his former club in Round 2 of the 2021 NRL season.
The clash, which will be revealed in the NRL draw released today, will be the Cowboys’ first home game of the season at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
It will also add an extra spice to the recruitment merry-go-round after it was revealed former Dragons pivot Gareth Widdop was being offered up to North Queensland by UK Super League outfit Warrington earlier this week.
The last time the Cowboys faced the Dragons, marquee recruit Valentine Holmes slotted an extra-time field goal to thrill the North Queensland fans.
The Cowboys will make the long road trip to Sydney to start the season as new coach Todd Payten faces a trial by fire against last season’s minor premiers Penrith Panthers.
But the Cowboys will be given a travel reprieve early in the season with their away clash to Cronulla, set for the Easter weekend, being played at Sunshine Coast Stadium.
The move to the regional Queensland venue is part of the Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V'landys’s bush footy push.
The NRL yesterday announced it was taking more matches than ever to country New South Wales in 2021, as well as two games to Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, as the game ramps up efforts to reinvigorate rugby league in the bush.
Rather than having to travel to Sydney to take on the Sharks, the Cowboys will only have to take the 1hr 50min flight to Noosa for their Round 4 game.
It is understood the Cowboys will have to wait until midway through the year for the first showdown with arch rivals Brisbane, which is tipped to be played in July while the club also has a favourable draw in terms of turnarounds with only one fiveday break between games.
Southeast Queensland will be treated to an early season blockbuster rivalry but it appears country fans will miss out when the NRL draw is released today.
The growing ‘M1 Derby’ rivalry between Brisbane and the Gold Coast will come to an early head next year when firebrands Payne Haas and new Titans recruit Tino Fa’asuamaleaui square off in Round 2.
Country fans appear to have been left out in the cold with Sunshine Coast Stadium the only ground outside of Brisbane, Townsville and the Gold Coast confirmed to host matches in 2021.
Cairns’ Barlow Park, with its 15,000 capacity and Mackay’s BB Print Stadium with its 12,000 capacity could easily host NRL games, although grounds like Rockhampton’s Browne Park with its 8000 spectator limit are deemed too small by NRL standards.