Mayor slams Nine's Cowboys snub
By ROBERTA MANCUSO
30jun04
TOWNSVILLE Mayor Tony Mooney has blasted Channel 9 for its failure to televise free-to-air Cowboys matches.

In what quickly became a hot topic in the council chambers last night, Cr Mooney vowed to come down heavily on the television network for denying North Queenslanders a single chance to watch their team play from the comfort of their lounge room.

"I believe that this is a travesty," Cr Mooney said.

"It is a reflection of the Sydney and Brisbane-centric approach to the NRL by executives of the Nine network.

"What have we got to do to convince the powers-that-be that we have a competitive team ... that we enjoy one of the highest crowd averages in the competition.

"We certainly leave the Sydney clubs for dead when it comes to pulling a good crowd."

The Cowboys have not appeared on free-to-air television on the NRL's licensed network since their inaugural game against the Canterbury Bulldogs was screened.

Cr Mooney said Channel 9 needed to "clean up their act" and give North Queenslanders what they deserved.

"They are totally ignoring one very large, important market," he said.

"(The Cowboys) may not always be winners but they've certainly proved to be a very competitive outfit in a national competition."

Cr Mooney said the well-worn exuse that the team had to win a certain number of games before Channel 9 would televise a match did not wash with North Queenslanders.

He said he would be writing to Channel 9 with his concerns.

"It's part of the tyranny of distance that we suffer ... which we continually battle against and I believe we have to make our view known."

Cr Jenny Hill said failing to televise local games would have a negative impact on the sport because it would fail to recruit people to the game.

She said for many disadvantaged people, rugby league was an outlet which kept them away from crime, drugs and alcohol.

"The NRL runs the risk of being taken over by the AFL (without games being televised)," she said.

Cr Hill suggested the council take up its beef with Paul "Fatty" Vautin and to expose the North's plight on The Footy Show.

Consider this:

All National Rugby League clubs bar the Rabbitohs have been viewed on Channel 9 more times this season than the Cowboys have in their entire 10-year history.

In their past nine outings, the seventh-placed Cowboys have dropped just two matches - to top five clubs the Bulldogs and the Melbourne Storm.

In comparison, 10th-placed Wests Tigers have featured in Channel 9 games for the past two weeks. In those two games they have conceded 106 points and scored none.

Of the eight clubs below the Cowboys on the premiership ladder, all have been screened on Channel 9 this season.

In total, those clubs have played 22 free-to-air games in 2004 - three of those belonging to last-placed New Zealand Warriors.

Read the full article this info came from at http://townsvillebulletin.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,7034,10006492%255E14787,00.html

Almost every Channel Nine broadcast game in previous weeks has resulted in a flogging, whereas games involving the Cowboys have been consistantly close.

id love to see the cowboys get more tv time and exposure...

but its a ratings game.

and im not sure if a cowboys match would rate?
maybe if they keep winning like they are doing then things could change.

but they have a history of losing.. so noone watches them.

good to see they r in the top 8 though... sure killing my team hahaha doh

id love to see the cowboys get more tv time and exposure...

but its a ratings game.

and im not sure if a cowboys match would rate?
maybe if they keep winning like they are doing then things could change.

but they have a history of losing.. so noone watches them.

good to see they r in the top 8 though... sure killing my team hahaha doh

I agree - their track record has been poor despite potential. Start winning on a consistent basis, and they will pop up regularly on Friday night football.

PS I would love to see the cowboys be very succesful.

im sure that channel 9 could play it in NQ anyway... If its like information in this thread suggests, and NQ'ers would watch it no matter if they win or lose, then they should play it.

Yeh, WIN used to have a delayed telecast of home games that they broadcast in North Queensland, I remember coming home from games and watching the end. It was only for the first season though. I don't know whether local telecasts of games are a possibility of starting up again.

9 Qld or WIN should televise them locally.

It could all be part of the grand plan to have every home with pay television.

televise the game locally? if its a away game it should be on free to air, even if its a 2hr delay. Games played at home proably shouldnt be played free to air or live it acts as a reason not to go to the match. Maybe the reason the Cowboys have such high crowds is because it isnt free to air?.. Then again north queenslanders make a habit of strongly supporting there teams.


But the fact the previously the cowboys have being a rather ordinary team is the main reason its not on free to air. Remember that the time the games are televised and played is practically planned out before the season even starts.

Cowboys games are very popular in pubs around Queensland. It doesn't matter if your in a suburban pub, a country pub or a Gold Coast Surf Club, plenty of eyes are glued to the screen watching the states second favourite league team.

I hope they make the 8 given the rough road ahead for them. They've played great this season but without Sing it won't be any easier.

It's the nationalisation of networks like 9. Why shouldn't people in Qld always be guaranteed of seeing either the Broncos or Cowboys play. Yet you end up with watching whatever is decided in Sydney as the most important match to televise.

9 Qld or WIN should televise them locally.

It could all be part of the grand plan to have every home with pay television.

Nine's Newcastle affiliate NBN used to broadcast Knights games in the days before cable TV took over and now they receive the channel nine broadcasts. I agree that their games should at least be broadcast within Northern Queensland. I don't care if another free to air network agrees to play it.

I also have to agree about the matches aired by channel nine especially Friday Night Football. It's always the same clubs playing on Fridays which include Canterbury, Roosters, Newcastle & Brisbane. More established clubs such as St George, Wests Rabbitohs, Manly & the Cowboys rarely have games on Fridays except with St George which this season seem to be getting the friday night game every second week (last night was their first friday night fixture at home) because they have performed fairly strongly. In the end it's about ratings and revenue for the network & the NRL.

It seems the pressure has paid off - the sunday afternoon televised game on Aug 29 will be North Queensland Cowboys vs Wests Tigers!!!

its about time! there a good team atm. pity there playing tragic tigers though. they should wallop them! yeha!

Cowboys won 24-12. I wonder what the ratings were like. The win means they've made the top 8 for the first time ever & will consequentely be on free to air again in the finals!

Good on ya Cowboys, coming from over here in Holland, I had no idea the Cowboys were still not getting on to free-to-air, I know 9 used to give the reason that the match & tv scheduling were decided around 8 weeks in advance, maybe it's taken them this long to work out that their worth having on tv?? Anyways, how were the ratings?

Go the Cowboys!!! (now that the Eels are out :bash: )