COWBOY SIGNS UP

BOWEN PRIDE BOUND:

IT HAS already been hailed as one of the Northern Pride’s most significant signings of the off-season.

In a major coup, former North Queensland Cowboys centre Javid Bowen is set to become a permanent fixture at the Pride for the 2020 season, after several years of serving the club as a Cowboys’ allocated player.

The 26-year-old will bring a wealth of experience to the Pride, having spent the past eight seasons as part of the Cowboys’ NRL system.

Bowen (right) played Cowboys under-20s in 2012 and 2013, before going on to play 36 NRL games since making his first-grade debut in 2016.

He has a storied history with the Pride and was part of the club’s 2014 premiership and national championship triumphs.

Pride coach Ty Williams said he was excited to have the strike centre at the club fulltime, after only getting him for 40-45 minutes each week in the captain’s run.

“Mine and his relationship’s pretty good as a player and coach, but also away from the field,” he said. “Obviously he was down the road and could’ve been happy to stay in Townsville and play for the Blackhawks, but I think he enjoys the environment we’re creating up here and he’s got a fair bit of family up here as well.”

Williams said missing out on a fresh contract with the Cowboys would light a fire in Bowen’s belly.

“No one’s ever content to play Q Cup,” he said. “It’s one step off the NRL and you never know what could happen, he could come back here and really have a red-hot crack and it could open up another avenue to go to an NRL club.

“It’s an opportunity for him to come to us full-time, but it hasn’t closed the door for him to go back to the NRL.

“He’ll come back to us and do his best to be successful.

“You gotta remember that Jango’s been in our system for a long time – he’s a valuable part of our organisation … having him full-time is going to be exciting.”