The next era of North Queensland Toyota Cowboys will be on show in the state-wide Mal Meninga Cup and Cyril Connell Cup grand finals at Barlow Park in Cairns on Saturday afternoon.
A look through the teams for the two finals reveals 20 current NYC Cowboys or scholarship holders including Coen Hess, who has already made his debut in the under-20s competition this season and will return to the North Queensland lineup for the clash against the Brisbane Broncos next Friday night.
Cowboys NYC squad members Cooper Bambling and Regan Grieve are co-captains of the under-18 Townsville Stingers who will take on Norths at 1.30pm with a total of 12 contracted or scholarship holding Cowboys in their run-on 13.
Jesse Pomare-Anderson, Gideon Mosby-Gelan, Sam Smith, Ty Carucci, Kurt De Luis, Nick Brown, Jordan Kenworthy and Tyrone Pritchard are other NYC squad members in the Stingers squad of 18, while Rhein Frank, Richie Munchow and Calum Gahan have Cowboys scholarships.
It’s an all-North Queensland battle in the Cyril Connell Cup final with the Stingers to take on Northern Pride at 3.30pm.
In the Stingers squad are Cowboys scholarship holders Marshal Hudson, Enari Tuala, Samuel Martin-Savage and skipper Jacob Bourke, while Pride captain Jake Clifford and fullback Michael Carroll are also already part of the North Queensland’s scholarship program.
The two finals will be curtain-raisers to the round 10 XXXX Rivalry Round game between the Northern Pride and Mackay Cutters that features 11 current Cowboys NRL players.
The grand finals will be streamed live via the QRL website @ qrl.com.au
MAL MENINGA CUP grand final: Townsville Stingers v Norths Devils
1.30pm, Saturday 3 May, Barlow Park
Townsville Stingers: 1. Jesse Pomare-Anderson 2. Gideon Mosby-Gela 3. Sam Smith 4. Rhein Frank 5. Richie Munchow 6. Ty Carucci 7. Cooper Bambling (c) 8. Kurt De Luis 9. Ben Stanford 10. Nick Brown 11. Regan Grieve (c) 12. Coen Hess 13. Jordan Kenworthy 14. Calum Gahan 15. Dylan Jensen 16. Faron Morris 17. Braydon Dee 18. Tyrone Pritchard. Coach: Steve Sheppard.
Norths Devils: 1. Adrian Henley (c) 2. Sione Mapatoa 3. Will Ilongi 4. Keenan Yorston 5. Sonny Munroe 6. Jarrin Faulkner 7. Joshua Fauid 8. Justin Timu 9. Kalolo Saitaua 10. Lindsay Collins 11. Jacob Kelly 12. Richard Tendgui 13. Michael Molo 14. Jack Miers 15. Denzell Heketoa 16. Caleb Hitchens 19. Mitch Walker 18. Quillan Pritchard Malaki 19. Bennett Chilton 20. Patrick Akauola. Coach: Craig Grauf.
CYRIL CONNELL CUP grand final: Townsville Stingers v Northern Pride
3.30pm, Saturday 3 May, Barlow Park
Townsville Stingers: 1. Marshal Hudson 2. Lachlan LaRosa 3. Enari Tuala 4. Gehamat Shibasaki 5. Jamie Savage 6. Samuel Martin - Savage 7. Jacob Bourke (c) 8. Christian Power 9. Oscar Carter 10. Thomas Conn 11. Ryan Jensen 12. Campbell Duffy 13. Duarne Dempsey 14. Julian Christian 15. Will Duncombe 16. Pe-Jay Zaro 17. Joseph Wigness 18. James Dale. Coach: Allan Peterson.
Northern Pride: 1. Michael Carroll 2. Simon Bevan 3. Brad Spicer 4. Jason Chapman 5. Liu Lockington 6. Jack Campagnolo 7. Jake Clifford (c) 8. Gabrial Bon 9. Patrick Gallen 10. Mitipere Tuati 11. Johan Turner 12. Yaza Stephen 13. Thomas Flegler 14. Quinlyn Cannon 15. Dion Wales 16. Brett Anderson 17. Tristan Subloo 18. Lachlan Biondi-Odo. Coach: Shane O'Flanagan.
