I blame the army. There are many things many people blame the military for, but the reason you support rugby league’s least glamorous team is generally not one of them.
You see, based on family history there is absolutely no reason why I should support the North Queensland Cowboys. None whatsoever.
Growing up I can’t remember even watching a single game of rugby league on the TV. With a Victorian-raised father it was always the Aussie Rules dominating our weekend viewing, I knew only of games with four posts, handballs and points for just missing.
In fact, the first game of rugby league I can remember watching was the 1988 grand final between Canterbury Bulldogs and Balmain Tigers. Everyone in the room bar one bloke was supporting the Bulldogs, so I decided to be different and cheer on the Tigers, who promptly lost 24-12.
The next game I watched was between the Tigers and the Canberra Raiders. Supporting the Tigers was obviously a no-go given their 0-1 record when I supported them, and besides, I’d actually lived in Canberra and knew where it was.
Although down 12-2 at halftime, the Raiders made a stunning comeback, first scoring in the last 90 seconds to level the scores before scoring a field goal and try in extra time to win their first premiership.
So at nine years old I’d been introduced to rugby league, watched what many considered one of the greatest grand finals of all time, and picked a team that represented somewhere I’d actually lived before.
They might not have been a Queensland-based team, but that didn’t mean there weren’t some quality Maroons there: Mal Meninga, Gary Belcher, Steve Walters, Steve Jackson off the bench. Yep, the Raiders were my team. Couldn’t get enough of anything lime green.
Then the Cowboys came in.
Now our family has no real link to the city of Townsville other than the fact the army posted Dad there between 1980 and 1983. It just so happens it was that time period our parents welcomed their two eldest sons into the world, giving us a link to Townsville now recorded faithfully on our passports.
Since leaving in 1983 I’ve been back twice: once in 2004 and once again last year. That’s it.
For a nomadic 14-year-old born in Townsville and who hated all things Broncos, this was a god-send though. I could support a Queensland-based team, from where I was born, that apparently produced lots of good players. Success couldn’t be that far away?
1995: Last.
1996: 17th out of 20.
1997: Last.
1998: 16th out of 20.
1999: 16th out of 17.
2000: Last.
2001: 13th out of 14.
This is way too depressing to continue.
It wasn’t until 2004 that we finally started to come good. The round 24 match against the Wests Tigers was our first match on free-to-air television since, oh, our very first match ever back in 1995! A couple of weeks later we were back on Channel 9 for our maiden finals game, taking on the second-placed Bulldogs.
By this point I was living in Cooma NSW, a place about as far removed from Townsville in terms of weather and lifestyle as you could get. There was only one other Cowboys fan in the whole town – thankfully he lived in the upstairs flat – and together we cheered on the team as they shocked both the Bulldogs and Brisbane (yes, yes, sweet Lordy yes!) to come within a whisker of making the grand final.
Next season was even better: a grand final loss, sure, but a grand final!
With players like Jonathan Thurston and Matty Bowen leading the attack, surely the bad old days were over?
2006: ninth out of 15.
2007: third out of 16.
2008: 15th out of 16, including a 13-game losing streak.
2009: 12th out of 16.
2010: 15th out of 16, not 16th only because Melbourne weren’t allowed any points.
Last season was good though. Last season we made the finals for only the fourth time ever, losing to eventual premiers Manly. This is an improvement, although still a step down from midway through the season when we were entrenched in the top four with wins over the other top-four sides to our credit.
Being a Cowboys fans is like being in that Chumbawamba song: you drink a whisky drink, drink a vodka drink, drink a lager drink, drink a cider drink: anything that makes the pain of last weekend go away. You get knocked down, then you get up again, they’re never gonna keep you down, because you’re a Cowboys fan, and that’s what Cowboys fans do.
Seriously, I blame the army.
Queensland's Game is Rugby League
Guest
I fell in love with the Cowboys when I saw them play the Bulldogs at Stockland Stadium in 1995. Straight away I knew it was time to ditch the Broncos and support the Cowboys. The biggest game of the year for me is always the Broncos vs Cowboys game at Lang Park. Beating Brisbane at Lang Park is on par with winning the grand final. Broncos fans can be very arrogant and rude, so it's always a blessing when the Cowboys beat them on their own turf. Bowen let in a couple of tries during the Broncos game. He made up for it though by scoring one at the end. I wish Henry would stop playing Thurston and Thompson as first-receivers on the left and right side of the field. Play Thurston outside of Thompson. It'll make both Thompson and Thurston more dangerous because they've have more options should the defence close in on one of them. When they're isolated it makes it easier for the centres and second rowers of the defence to rush up and in on the first-receiver.
NF
Guest
oikee the broncos miss the 8 only once the past 15+ years, you're spoiled for success it be nice if the Cows had some of it for once. Eventually the cowboys will have a sustained period of success and sooner than later the Broncos will go through some tough times eventually it's bound to happen oikee the Bronx have got it too good for too long.
Matt_S
Roar Pro
Could be worse, you could follow the rabbitohs and end up an alcoholic that pulls his hair out. No seriously, I'd like to get up to see the Cowbies one day and have a beer at the leagues club.
PGNEWC
Guest
Its because you have the Name "North' in your moniker that you are doomed and pessimistic- hope you don't go the way of the other North waiting 50 years for a Premiership and still waiting even though they're dead.
llieno
Roar Rookie
Agreed - I'd rather they just cut him now.
llieno
Roar Rookie
Oikee, I thought we were extremely lucky against the Broncos. If it wasn't for a piece of individual brilliance from Bowen we wouldn't have come away with a win there. I thought the game management from Thurston in that game was poor and he just doesn't seem himself at the moment. He has always denied a rift with Henry but something clearly isn't working there. The way we lost to the Titans was just plain pathetic. I think the Cows may scrape into the 8 but like you said that team on paper should be finishing a lot higher. Need O'Donnell, the loose cannon, back to provide a bit of that fear factor.
Paul
Guest
I thought the cowboys would go really well this year and imo they are still on track for the finals. However i just wonder how much the Robert Lui drama may derail their season. There must surley be some women very involved in the club along with the wags who must be wondering what the hell they were doing by signing Lui. After all thats come out it does appear they gave no thought to how it would affect their female support. NO RESPECT, thats what my wife said.
oikee
Guest
You beat the Bronx this year. And you have a good team on paper, a top 4 team really. Put it this way, would you prefer to be a Titans fan. ? Titans fans dont seem to have much heart, the crowds have dropped away, only a few diehards are left, they want success without going through tough times like you have had to endure. I would rather be in your shoes, trust me. Plus poeple admire you for getting back up. Someone has to lose, even the Broncos missed the top 8 a couple of years ago, the sun still come up next year.
llieno
Roar Rookie
I believe supporting this club will take 20 years off my life. Every year they promise the world, whether it be through an improved playing roster, new staff and they almost never deliver. They show glimpses all the time but never have the consistency of a club like the Brisbane Broncos; often when they lose, they lose big! I grew up in Townsville so I did go from being a Broncos supporter to a Cowboys one in '95. It was an easy decision for me as an 11 year old kid growing up in a league mad part of Australia but it would have been so much easier staying a Broncos fan. I know there are clubs around the league at the moment who are under the spotlight for all the wrong reasons but I just think it's a matter of time before Neil Henry is shown the door. I just wish the administration grew a pair back when Bennett was available and signed him instead. Maybe we would have secured that elusive maiden premiership!
NF
Guest
Wow another Cows fan on the Roar, went I moved up to townsville from my mining town which i lived in my entire life i got introduced to the Cowboys in 2009. My first game is when they demolished the West Tigers 40+ points from then I become a supporter plus I learnt about it's tumultuous history from near death to where it is today I'm hoping Cowboys have a prologue series of success like the Broncos. Broncos supporters are spoiled with success yet still complain despite never going through what us Cowboys supporters went through, if oikee went through what the Cowboys went through with his Broncos he be going mad lol.