Cowboys deny Costigan interest
By Wayne Heming
August 16, 2006 NORTH Queensland has changed its mind about chasing sacked Brisbane forward Neville Costigan.
Canberra will meet Costigan on Friday while the Gold Coast Titans, who have a vacancy on their player list after wing Steve Turner's decision to stay with Melbourne, are the frontrunners to saign the forward for 2007.
Cowboys football manager Kelly Egan held informal talks with Costigan while in Mackay early this week, after which the 21 year-old revealed that North Queensland was set to offer him a two-year deal.
Costigan left the meeting with Egan saying he wanted to join the Cowboys because they allowed him to be close to his family in North Queensland.
But Cowboys chief executive Peter Parr said today the club had changed its mind regarding the recruitment of Costigan, whose contract with Brisbane was terminated last Thursday after a series of off-field indiscretions.
Broncos halfback Brett Seymour also had his contract shredded.
"We won't be pursuing Neville," Parr said.
"It was a decision made after a lot of consultation between the coaching staff and our board of directors.
"As a club, we've decided we won't be pursuing Neville."
Parr said Egan had spoken to Costigan last Monday after he had returned home to Seaforth, north of Mackay, to escape the drama of his axing from the Broncos.
"Kelly was in Mackay finalising a trial down there for us next year," Parr said.
"It wasn't a trip designed specifically to speak to Neville."
The Cowboys are the second club to express keen interest in the big-hitting back rower only to do a back flip.
Melbourne last week bailed out of talks with Costigan the day after saying it was keen to secure his signature.
Parr did not wish to discuss the reasons for the Cowboys' sudden change of heart, but he stressed the decision followed lengthy discussions between the club's coaching staff and its board.
