Elation tinged with sadness for Cowboys founder LONG ROAD TO GLORY
IAN FRAZER.
A KEY PLAYER IN THE FORMATION OF THE COWBOYS, JOHN LYONS FOUND THE CLUB’S MAIDEN PREMIERSHIP WIN HAD A TINGE OF REGRET, WRITES
JOHN Lyons absorbed the Cowboys’ historic, heartstopping win last Sunday night with elation, then regret.
Euphoria as JT nailed that golden point, followed by a longing that his friends Ron McLean, Bill Duguid and John Moore could have shared the moment.
Rugby league supporters around the North had dug deep in 1991 to initiate North Queensland’s formal bid to join the Winfield Cup competition, Lyons recalled this week.
A Townsville businessman and league fanatic, Lyons joined the North’s push for inclusion in 1990 when the NSW Rugby League demanded a $ 500,000 security fee from Top End RL, the true believers’ company that spearheaded the audacious bid.
Innisfail- born ex- Test footballer Kerry Boustead, a key member of the North’s campaign, lodged the application to join the competition in Sydney on September 17, 1991, forecasting average home game crowds of 7000 and annual benefits to the region of $ 8 million.
Boustead was then Top End RL’s promotions manager and sole employee, sponsored by brewer Castlemaine Perkins Ltd, an existing supporter of the Townsville District Rugby League competition.
The campaign began in 1989, sparked by a Panasonic Cup rugby league game in Townsville between the Brisbane Broncos and Parramatta Eels, viewed by a full house of 16,000 at the Townsville Sports Reserve.
NSW Rugby League chairman Ken Arthurson attended the game and predicted North Queensland could enter a proposed new national competition within five years.
North Queensland Newspapers’ general manager Ron “Shorty’’ McLean and Townsville Bulletin sports reporter Doug Kingston both joined the push, McLean becoming chairman of a steering committee with representatives from Mackay to Cairns and west to Mount Isa.
In 1990, the committee registered Top End RL as their business entity and John Lyons volunteered his services to raise the $ 500,000 security fee.
“Top End RL had no funds and all those involved participated in the very best of community spirit in an honorary capacity,’’ he said.
Lyons had previously proved a persuasive fundraiser in helping to gather pledges of $ 1.5 million to supplement development costs for the Great Barrier Reef Wonderland project – now known as Reef HQ.
Top End RL decided to raise the $ 500,000 from a corporate box deal at the proposed new stadium – at the yet- to- be redeveloped Willows Paceway.
Lyons headed a search for supporters prepared to pay $ 50,000 for five years’ exclusive use of a corporate box with seating for 10 and food and drinks laid on.
“We slowly reached our goal,’’ he said. “It was through an incredible team effort by a group of quiet achievers who need to be acknowledged but sadly half of these farsighted gentlemen have moved on.
“Former Queensland representative player Max Short and his brother Merv were the first in Townsville to put their heads in the scrum.
“John Moore, president of Cairns Rugby League, gave me a good hearing and the Cairns regional football fraternity, I’m pleased to say, found Top End attractive.’’
Mackay Rugby League identities Brian Fitzsimmons and Bill Duguid paved the way for strong support from their region.
Packages were also offered to supporters in Charters Towers, Mount Isa, Ingham, Tully, Innisfail, Ayr, Bowen and Proserpine.
Michael Collins, of Charters Towers, and Bob Pack, of Townsville, had been to the fore in these approaches.
Lyons also paid tribute to Phil Clarke, of Price Waterhouse, for producing the cashflow forecast that underpinned the North Queensland case and to developers Laurence Lancini and Joe Goicoechea for transforming Willows Paceway into what is now 1300SMILES Stadium.
Top End lawyer Barry Taylor had also played a crucial role in settling on entry conditions with the NSW Rugby League.
And Paul “Porky” Morgan, a stockbroker during the 1980s and the man behind the Brisbane Broncos’ entry to the NSWRL competition, had given invaluable advice in the early stages of the bid.
On November 30, 1992, Lyons joined Kerry Boustead, Ron McLean, Doug Kingston and Townsville Mayor Tony Mooney in Sydney on a last- ditch deputation to the board of directors of the NSW Rugby League.
He feared for the worst when a panel member quipped to Mooney, “I’ve been up your way – on holidays to Noosa.’’
“We had to satisfy the panel where our region was and that we drew on a population of half a million,’’ he said.
“There is no doubt Bowey ( Kerry Boustead) was the magnet and thankfully the panel were in awe of his long and distinguished representative career as a Kangaroo, Origin and Sydney first- grade star.
“The big boss Ken Arthurson gave Kerry a wink as we left and that was the icing on the cake.’’
Lyons grew up in a rugby league family – his dad Murray Lyons was a champion halfback in the 1930s.
His nephew Greg Tonner was appointed Cowboys’ CEO earlier this year.
“I was one lucky fella to pull on a jersey at the Sydney league headquarters 22 years ago and absolutely delighted to then experience a victory salute upon being granted our NRL badge,’’ he said.
“But I am sad, because there are a number of stalwarts who contributed to that admission who’ve now passed on and no doubt proudly look down from above, for instance Ron McLean, Brian Fitzsimmons, Kevin Schreiber, Bill Duguid ( Mackay) and John Moore ( Cairns), not to overlook a number of those loyal supporters who took up 10- year private boxes.’’