North Queensland Cowboys CEO Peter Jourdain slams NRL over Sydney bias in draw

THE Cowboys have blasted the NRL, accusing them of pandering to Sydney clubs over a match schedule that could ruin their season.

NEWCASTLE, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 23: Johnathan Thurston of the Cowboys during the round 15 NRL match between the Newcastle Knights and the North Queensland Cowboys at Hunter Stadium on June 23, 2014 in Newcastle, Australia. (Photo by Tony Feder/Getty Images)

FURIOUS Cowboys boss Peter Jourdain has blasted the NRL, accusing the league of pandering to Sydney clubs over a match schedule that could ruin North Queensland’s season.

In their latest stoush with the code’s governors, the Cowboys claim the final six rounds of scheduling is “ridiculous” and favours the interests of Sydney-based teams.

Jourdain has complained to NRL football operations chief Nathan McGuirk as the Cowboys consider charter flights to cope with late adjustments to their playing draw.

“This is a complete slap in the face for our club — it is totally unfair,” Jourdain said.

On Friday, the NRL released dates for the final six weeks, with three rounds to feature Thursday night games, extending the playing round to five days instead of four.

But the Cowboys are particularly irate at being asked to face Penrith on a Monday night in Sydney, followed by another road trip to play Souths five days later.

Jourdain alleges the Cowboys were pencilled in to play the Panthers on a Saturday night, only for the NRL to revise the draw.

With their turnaround cut by 48 hours between rounds 23 and 24, the Cowboys will have just two days to prepare for a Souths clash that could make-or-break their season.

“It is ridiculous and simply not good enough,” Jourdain said.

“I have rung the NRL and said this is completely unfair, but we were told it’s within the rules.

“The NRL had sent us an email saying we had a Saturday night game (against Penrith). Then there were some four-day turnarounds, which contravenes the CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement), so they had to change some games.

“We could have lived with being moved to Sunday, but getting moved to a Monday night is a joke.

“Under that schedule, we will get back to Townsville on Tuesday night, then have to fly back to Sydney on Friday to prepare for the Souths game.

“We will have two days of travel and just two days in Townsville for the players to recover.

“The NRL talks about player welfare but I’ve never seen a schedule like this in my time at the Cowboys — it’s simply not right.”

An NRL spokesperson said: “The reality is that different teams will have different views on the final schedule for the last six rounds.”

“Developing the draw is a complex exercise that takes into consideration the broadcasters’ requirements as well as other important considerations such as player welfare.”

Originally published as North Queensland Cowboys CEO Peter Jourdain slams NRL over Sydney bias in draw