http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2008/09/03/15896_cowboys.html
THE Cowboys are unconcerned by English Super League raids despite losing two players to Salford for next season.
Mark Henry joined Ray Cashmere at the expansion club last week after seeking a release from a two-year contract at the Cowboys that he had only inked in July.
Both players were offered massive contracts to make the trek to England which the Cowboys could not match.
But chief executive Peter Parr said he was unfazed by the raid on his players and would not rule out more players going to Salford in the future.
"We've got a good relationship with Salford and I told (football director) Steve Simms during the Mark Henry thing that it wasn't a fait accompli that we were going to release him just because we released Ray," he said.
"I also told him that if he wanted to target any players in the future just to make sure that I was aware of it.
"I've got no real concerns there, at the end of the day if we wanted to we could have kept both players if the coaching staff wanted to."
The decision to release Henry came after the back had a heart-to-heart chat with incoming coach Neil Henry, who said he was happy for him to go.
The Canberra junior had also expressed interest in a move to England in 2010 which Parr said the club would have allowed if an offer had come up further down the track.
"We had a gentleman's agreement with him that after 12 months if he did get a good offer from England we wouldn't stand in his way," Parr said.
"Mark had a long chat to Neil Henry and Neil was comfortable with allowing him to go.
"He's been very good for the club so in the end we decided not to stand in his way."
The move is an exciting one for Henry who is looking to set himself up financially before embarking on a career in sports science.
And he has not ruled out a return to North Queensland where he currently has a house and a job as a personal trainer.
"I enjoyed every second that I was here, it's bittersweet I suppose," Henry said.
"I'm going to enjoy the experience overseas but I've really had a good time here.
"I daresay I'll return to live here and if there's any possibility down the track of coming back and playing I would always consider that for sure."
The Cowboys will not be signing Knights player Mark Taufua despite holding talks with him.
"(Football manager) Dean (Lance) had a bit of a yarn with him but our understanding is that he's going to stay at Newcastle," Parr said.
Under-20s captain Ryan Carr has signed a deal with Wests Tigers for next season despite being offered a two-year deal at the Cowboys.
Parr said the hooker had let the timeline lapse on the deal, in which time the club had signed Gold Coast's Clint Amos, a former Cowboy, to play back-up to Aaron Payne.
Negotiations are continuing with winger Obe Geia who is understood to be weighing up offers from other clubs.
Nick Slyney's one-year deal is likely to become official in the coming weeks when his manager returns from overseas.
