Matt Bowen primed for Auckland Nines cameo with North Queensland Cowboys

NORTH Queensland Cowboys cult hero Matt Bowen is back. Here he reflects on his career and tells what he has up his sleeve for the Nines.

The NQ Cowboys' vs. South Sydney Rabbitohs' playing at 1300 Smiles Stadium, Townsville, QLD. Cowboys' Matt Bowen and Rabbitohs' Nathan Merritt.

MATT BOWEN was a cult figure at the North Queensland Cowboys.

A dynamic fullback, he played 270 NRL games, 10 State of Origins and a Test against France, scoring 134 tries in total before heading to English club Wigan.

Aged 33, he retired from the game last year after a narrow grand final loss to Leeds but is set for a cameo appearance at next weekend’s Auckland Nines.

Matthew Bowen trains with the Cowboys ahead of the Auckland Nines.

Where were you when the Cowboys won the 2015 premiership?

I was in England getting ready for the finals, on a train from Wigan with mum and dad to London. I was getting updates on my phone from Instagram and Twitter and kept checking it every third second or so hoping for the good result.

How were your emotions? Joy tinged with sadness at not being there?

I think so ... I really wanted them to win for Johnno (Thurston). It would have been good had I been there but we had our chances to win (in my era from 2001-13) and didn’t.

Have you watched the Cowboys’ win on replay?

No. I saw 10 minutes of highlights that night. It has been so good for the community up here. I had no doubt they were going to win.

What did that team have that previous Cowboys teams lacked?

They had been building confidence all year. They learnt how to win games from behind. They stuck to their game plan. And they didn’t panic even though they had 15 seconds to score a try.

Now that you have been chosen to play at the Nines, is there any chance of a full-blown comeback?

I don’t think so. I am just happy to be back training with the boys and helping out while they are low on numbers. It has been nice to be back.

Matthew Bowen and Johnathan Thurston had an great combo.

You went well at Wigan but you had to cop a bit early when they called you Fatty Bowen. Were you carrying a few pounds?

It was not the Wigan fans, it was the other supporters. But I am sure every other Aussie player over there cops it. They love to give it to the Aussies. It was good banter and I will miss them singing about how they don’t like us.

What did they actually sing?

St Helens sang “Oh Matty Bowen, fat bastard … fat bastard.’’ Castleford sang “Matty Bowen, waste of money, waste of money.’’ I gave them a bit of smile and they would sing louder. It was good trying to get the whole stadium singing against you.

Your daughter Tatum was induced a few hours before your grand final loss to Leeds but you kept the pregnancy a secret, didn’t you?

We kept it quiet for the whole time. Mum and dad didn’t know. It was a good little surprise. She was born the night before the grand final and after the grand final I put up a pic saying “surprise, surprise.’’ Everyone loved it.

Tell us about that famous match-winning try you scored in Origin 2005. Were you sweating on that intercept from Brett Kimmorley’s pass?

It is one of the moments I won’t forget. I was sweating on it. I knew if I didn’t get it and missed it, and Kimmorley hit the man on the outside, they (NSW) would have scored and I would have looked silly. It stuck in my hands and history is there.

You don’t drink. When and why did you make that call?

I had been around it growing up and just did not want to be a part of it. I didn’t like it and I had the will not to do it.

Was it difficult at times in the rugby league culture when everyone else was drinking?

It was hard the first time but once the boys knew I did not drink or smoke, they knew not to offer me those things. They would offer me a soft drink or a water, they were pretty good about it. They never tried to force me to drink.

You speak openly now but in the early days you had the reputation for being painfully shy and would barely say a word. You seem to have spread your wings?

I think there comes a time (to open up) … coming from a small community (Hopevale on Cape York Peninsula), I was always pretty shy.

How tough was it being an indigenous kid coming through the system?

Obviously it is hard coming from a little community trying to fit into the big society. Just things like speaking to people you don’t even know but luckily enough I had school friends and footy friends to help you along.

It was once claimed you didn’t wear shoes when you played football until you were 14. Was that true?

Yes. I did not even start playing until I was 13. I played touch before that and did athletics. When I did put boots on, it felt strange. They felt heavy and I could not run.

How long did it take you to feel comfortable in boots?

A while. I can remember thinking ‘what are these things on my feet?’ I couldn’t even kick a ball. It felt weird.

Tell us about your uncanny association with Johnathan Thurston. Was it natural or did you have to work on it?

Most of the time it was natural. Just instinct. We played a lot of games together and trained together ... so it just happened.

It almost looked at times as if you and he talked with your eyes.

Eye contact was a big thing ... He knew what I wanted and vice-versa. It just clicked. There was no genius to it. It didn’t happen overnight. It came together over years.

You played your last Origin game at 25. Did you feel you paid the price for being a smaller player?

I think so but in saying that we had a lot of good fullbacks coming through with Billy Slater, Karmichael Hunt and Rhys Wesser. I was in the wrong era but I enjoyed my time at Queensland level.

What did you miss about the far north when you were in England?

Lifestyle. Beaches. Playing in the park. Kicking the footy with the kids, that was another thing I missed.

Will you retire to north Queensland?

Yes. I have always wanted to come back here and live after footy. We eventually wanted to stay.

We thought you might open a Bowen mango shop?

Not just yet! I’ll just settle back after footy and find my feet for a year and see what happens.

Originally published as Matt Bowen primed for Auckland Nines cameo with North Queensland Cowboys