NORTH QUEENSLAND v WARRIORS
at DAIRYFARMERS STADIUM
7.30pm Saturday
HEAD TO HEAD
Played: 23 (1995-2007) Cowboys 11, Warriors 12
First clash: Auckland Warriors 28 beat North Queensland 10 at Stockland, 1995 (Rd 18)
Grand finals clashes: None
THE JERSEYS
The North Queensland Cowboys will wear a replica of the jersey worn by the North Queensland representative side in their famous first victory over Great Britain in 1966 in Townsville. It is plain blue with white shorts. The Warriors will wear a replica of the club’s 1999-2000 alternate strip which is predominantly bright red.
THE RIVALRY
Both sides will field players who were unwanted by their rivals: the Cowboys’ Sione Faumuina was given a lifeline after being dumped by the Warriors and looked like heading to England, and David Faiumu who hails from Wellington and escaped the attention of the Warriors. The Auckland side will field ex-Cowboys Nathan Fien and Micheal Luck and Mackay-born Grant Rovelli who played lower grades for the Roosters.
In Townsville, the Warriors have won only four times in 12 visits.
In 2000, a fight between players from the Cowboys and Warriors spilled onto the sideline, injuring a cheer girl. Both clubs were fined $25,000 for bringing the game into disrepute and five players were suspended for a total of 17 weeks,
THE HISTORY
COWBOYS
Entered competition: 1995
Premierships: None
Most games: Paul Bowman – 203
Most points: Josh Hannay – 882
Most tries: Matthew Bowen – 86
KEY EVENTS
1992 Having decided in May that a team from Auckland would join the premiership in 1995, the NSW Rugby League announces in November that three new clubs – from North Queensland, Perth and a second team from Brisbane – would also be invited.
1995 The North Queensland Cowboys’ first game on March 11, ends in a 32-16 loss to the Sydney Bulldogs at Townsville’s Stockland Stadium. The Cowboys’ first victory comes on April 30, a 14-10 win over Illawarra.
1996 The Cowboys win their first premiership game in Sydney, beating eventual grand finalists St George at Kogarah Oval.
1997 North Queensland are one of 10 teams to play in the Super League competition. Steve Walters becomes the club’s first Australian representative when he plays for the Super League Test side.
1998 Down 26-0 at half-time against Penrith, the Cowboys come back to win 36-28. No team had ever recovered from such a deficit in premiership history.
2000 North Queensland score 50 points in home games against both the Northern Eagles and St George Illawarra.
2004 The Cowboys win only one of their first seven matches, but recover to claim a finals place for the first time. They achieve stunning victories over minor premiers, the Bulldogs, and the Broncos in Townsville before an unlucky loss to the Sydney Roosters in a preliminary final.
2005 The Cowboys reach their first NRL grand final, going down 30-16 to Wests Tigers. Earlier in the season, six Cowboys – Matt Bowen, Paul Bowman, Matt Sing, Johnathan Thurston, Carl Webb and Ty Williams, were part of the Queensland team for the first two Origin matches.
2007 Johnathan Thurston repeats his efforts of 2005 by winning the Dally M Player-of-the-year award. Paul Bowman retires after becoming the first Cowboy to play 200 first-grade games for the club.
DID YOU KNOW?
Original Cowboys first grade coach Grant Bell is now coaching the club’s Toyota Cup (under 20s) side. Bell survived only one season as head coach before being replaced by Graham Lowe.
Innisfail legend Kerry Boustead was the Cowboys original CEO, appointed in 1993, but left early in their first season after refusing to embrace the board’s move to Super League.
The Cowboys’ home ground, DairyFarmers Stadium, was once a trotting track that fell into disuse and disrepair before government funding enabled it to be redeveloped.
The Cowboys finished no better than 11th on the ladder (and finished last three times) before making the finals for the first time in 2004.
Coach Graham Murray has taken Illawarra (1992) and North Queensland (2004) to their first Final Series, the Hunter Mariners to a World Club Challenge final in their only season (1997), Leeds to their first trophy in 20 years (Challenge Cup 1999) and the Sydney Roosters to their first grand final in 25 years (2000).
WARRIORS
Entered competition: 1995
Premierships: None
Most games: Stacey Jones – 238
Most points: Stacey Jones – 654
Most tries: Stacey Jones – 75
KEY EVENTS
1992 The NSW Rugby League accepts Auckland’s bid for entry into the premiership in 1995.
1995 The ‘Auckland Warriors’ are one of four clubs to make their premiership debut. The club’s inaugural game on March 10 ends in a 25–22 loss to Brisbane. Their first ‘win’ comes on March 26, 46–12 over Wests, but the illegal use of a fifth replacement by coach John Monie costs the club two premiership points. The Warriors’ first legitimate victory is on April 16, a 38–12 win over Illawarra.
1997 The Warriors are one of 10 teams to play in the Super League competition.
2000 The club appears on the brink of extinction before a rescue package is devised by the New Zealand Rugby League. It is relaunched as the ‘New Zealand Warriors’.
2001 The Warriors stage a miraculous comeback to force a 24–all draw with the Bulldogs. Down 24–8 with only 10 minutes to play, they score three late tries to tie the scores.
2001 The club crosses the Tasman for its first final series, losing to the Eels in the fourth qualifying final.
2002 Now known as the ‘Warriors’, the club wins the minor premiership and reaches the NRL grand final but are beaten by the Sydney Roosters 30-8.
2003 Twelve Warriors players appeared in a Test match – 11 for New Zealand and one, Richard Villasanti, for Australia. New Zealand wins the Test 30-16.
2004 Stacey Jones becomes the first Warrior to play 200 first grade games.
2006 The Warriors defeat Souths 66-0, the biggest winning margin achieved in the club’s history.
2007 The Warriors win 10 of their last 12 regular-season games to claim a top-four finish and their first home qualifying final since 2002.
DID YOU KNOW?
In their first season, coach John Monie brought from Wigan, two English internationals; forwards Andy Platt and Denis Betts. Also from Wigan came Kiwis Frano Botica and Dean Bell.
At 33, Logan Swann is the only survivor from the Warriors’ first squad in 1995; although it was in 1997 that he made his first grade debut.
Ruben Wiki, who made his debut for Canberra as a centre in 1993, needs only seven games to become only the 10th player to have played 300 first grade matches.
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