Cowboys INSIDER

• Three Cowboys showed off their creative sides during the 2012 Members’ Christmas Party at Townsville RSL Stadium on Saturday. Anthony Mitchell, Gavin Cooper and Blake Leary showed their festive spirit by decorating the paper tablecloth on their autograph signing table with some Christmas designs. Their drawings were then judged by the members who decided Blake’s silver and black Christmas tree surrounded by smiling faces and Christmas presents was the best of the lot. A happy Cowboys member took home the tablecloth to use during their celebrations.

• Here’s another indication of Matthew Bowen’s long-term brilliance as an NRL player: his win in this year’s Members’ Player of the Year Award came 10 years after his first. Mango also won the prize in 2007.

• Coach Neil Henry joined Brent Tate and Matthew Bowen as special guests at the Ingham Disability Support Group’s luncheon on Monday. Their visit was part of the Cowboys’ ongoing commitment to the North Queensland community.

• A member of the Cowboys development team will have to invest in a new smart phone after his old one met a nasty end at the weekend. The iPhone fell out of his pocket while he was mowing and was run over by his ride-on mower.

• Mackay Cutters forward Tyson Andrews has joined the Cowboys on a train/trial contract. He had his first session with the NRL squad on Monday and joins fellow Cutter Matthew Minto, Northern Pride’s Ben Spina and Tyson Martin in the chase for a 2013 contract.

• This week’s birthday boy is forward Blake Leary, who turns 22 on Tuesday. Blake has been one of the leading performers during pre-season training as he looks to add to his one NRL appearance in 2013.

• Ruan Sims, sister of Cowboys stars Ashton and Tariq Sims, is one of six debutants selected in the 2013 Women’s All Stars team to take on the Indigenous Women’s All Stars at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium in February. The women’s teams will play in the curtain-raiser to the 2013 Harvey Norman Rugby League All Stars match between Wayne Bennett’s NRL All Stars and Laurie Daley’s Indigenous All Stars on 9 February. Seven Local News newsreader Rob Brough will coach the Women’s All Stars.

• New NYC squad member Michael Barclay has been one of the Australian Institute of Sport’s best players during their tour of France and Great Britain. The front-rower from Kirwan High was named players’ player in the 26-10 defeat to the French under-19s in the tour opener and scored a try in Sunday’s 36-30 victory against England Students at Leeds. That match was played in freezing conditions on an artificial surface after the original venue was ruled unfit for play. The Aussies have also defeated the French under-17s 16-12 and Wales under-18s 52-12 on their three-week tour which finishes on Friday.

• The summer edition of Rugby League Week is out now and there’s more to look forward to for Cowboys fans searching for a league fix – Big League’s 2012 Annual comes out on Wednesday.

• Keep your eye out for the Townsville Eye magazine in the Townsville Bulletin this weekend. It will feature a double-page spread highlighting what some of our young NYC squad members do for a job away from football.

• Don’t forget that tickets for our final 2013 pre-season trial against the Gold Coast Titans in Mackay on 23 February go on sale through MackayTix on Wednesday >>> www.mackayecc.com.au.