The North Queensland Toyota Cowboys have today formally launched a new two-year Affiliate Club agreement with the Mackay Cutters.
As part of the agreement, half of the Cowboys NRL squad will be allocated to the Cutters, with players not selected in Todd Payten’s 17 to be eligible to suit up for Mackay in the Queensland Cup.
The Cutters will also receive a number of other benefits over the course of the agreement.
On top of increased financial support, the Cowboys will host four Cutters players for pre-season training blocks.
Cutters Head Coach Michael Comerford and his staff will visit The Hutchinson Builders Centre to shadow Payten and his coaching staff in the pre-season and will receive ongoing coach and high-performance staff development opportunities.
The Cutters will also play one home game at Queensland Country Bank Stadium prior to a Cowboys NRL game.
“The Cutters have been professional and positive throughout this entire process and their focus has never wavered from achieving an outcome in the best interests of both clubs,” Cowboys CEO Jeff Reibel said.
These are the core values that we both share: Reibel
“We are two organisations who pride ourselves on developing and nurturing local talent, which is why we are delighted to reach this agreement.
“We know our players will receive the coaching and support to best prepare them for the rigours of the NRL.”
Cowboys General Manager of Football Micheal Luck said Mackay has been a crucially important region to the Cowboys during the club’s existence.
“Mackay is a rich rugby league region with a proud history and we are thrilled to continue our partnership with the Cutters,” he said.
“The players who come to the Cowboys from the Mackay region have historically and importantly been good people on top of being talented players.
“Our system is filled with talent from the Mackay region, from Reuben Cotter and Tom Dearden at NRL level, through to two of our most exciting juniors in Jaxon Purdue and Xavier Kerrisk as well as Emma Manzelmann and Jasmine Peters at NRLW level.”
Cutters CEO Mitch Cook said his club were delighted to continue their partnership with the Cowboys.
“We are excited to continue our affiliation with the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys, which has been a long-standing partnership since 2008,” he said.
“We look forward to welcoming back Cowboys allocated players next season and are appreciative of the pathway this affiliation provides our region.”
