By Tania Phillips
Injured Hostplus Queensland Cup leading try-scorer and Warwick product Mitch Watson is working
hard to take his place in the Western Clydesdales team taking on Townsville at
Sullivan Oval in Stanthorpe on Sunday 16 July.
The game is part of the QRL’s country round, and will see the Western Clydesdales, who have
returned to the Queensland Cup competition this season after a lengthy break, come to play at one of
their major feeder regions.
The game will have special significance for a number of players particularly for winger Watson, who
has scored 15 tries this year, and Western Clydesdale Chairman Tony Coonan.
Coonan, who spent 11 years with the Stanthorpe Gremlins, said games like this one were very
important to the young Clydesdales team.
“The country round is great for us,” he said.
“There are actually two games in the Toowoomba and South West Region there’s a game in Miles and then our actual game in Stanthorpe.
“We’re taking on Townsville – I think they will feel the temperature,” Coonan laughed. Of course the
club has a solution for any cold Townsville fans who venture to Stanthorpe as well as locals wanting
to support the team.
“We’ve got lots of Western Clydesdale merchandise, loads of winter stock and the Stanthorpe
Gremlins have been good enough to allow us to have a merchandise stand so we will have loads of
winter beanies, scarves and jackets and things like that.”
The game is a good chance for people of the Southern Downs and Granite Belt to see the team
which is now providing a direct pathway for their local players through to the Queensland Cup and
the NRL through the Clydesdale’s connection to Sydney-based club the Bulldogs.
“Our area takes in Toowoomba obviously, the Darling Downs, Southern Downs, Goondawindi, then
way out west to Quilpie and out to the border,” he said.
“It is very obvious that a lot of the action is happening in Toowoomba and a lot sponsorship is in
Toowoomba because that’s where we are based but we want to try, as much as possible, to do things
out west – to embrace the region. There are so many good footballers that have come from the
regional areas, every time you look at the Queensland State of Origin team, the vast majority of
players every year come from the smaller regional places.
“The Southern Downs and Granite Belt have had their fair share of good players and in reasonably
recent times too with Mick Hancock and Shane Webcke standouts. Out West have had absolute
legends in Lockyer and Beetson.”
The young side is currently running third from the bottom in their first season back, but Coonan said the team was
impressing many Rugby League pundits putting in strong performances, only narrowly missing out on the points on numerous occasions.
Coonan said the side had built an affiliation with the Bulldogs which differed to a lot of the other Queensland Cup sides and was based on “long-term” results.
“We were never expecting to click our fingers and all of a sudden we were playing semis in our first
year,”he said.
“Ours is based on player and coach development, which means it’s going to be a slow burn but
there is enough talent in our region and we are going to upskill all of them so they are playing at a
really, really good standard. As opposed to other clubs who get three-four NRL players who
come back and play with them.”
It is definitely building time for the young Clydesdales who have just two players with more than 50 games
under their belts in the Queensland Cup compared to many of the long-standing squads who have 10 players with that much
experience.
Coonan said the wellbeing of the players was his main concern.
“My main aim is making sure the guys are happy and their
well-being is good,” he said.
“We want them to be really really
happy here in Toowoomba. We want them to enjoy going out West and to Stanthorpe
to play games.
“If they’re happy, hopefully they will sign up for us again next year.”
In the past the Western Clydesdales had been a feeder side for the Broncos but Coonan said the
whole system had broken down and they had been out of the competition for over a
decade and a half.
“I think 2006 was the last time we had a team (in what was then called the Intrust Cup),” he said.
“For the past 16 years we have just had under 16s, 18s, 21s and women’s teams. This is the first time we’ve had the Host Plus Cup team in the State-wide competition.”
He said he hoped that the Western Clydesdales were now giving players from the region including the Southern Downs and Granite Belt a clear pathway in the sport.
“What happens is we produce all of these great kids and then
as soon as they get to a certain age, they have to leave town. Now at least if they chose to, they can
stay in the area and get a pathway right through to the Host Plus Cup and, if they’re good enough,
they get spotted by the Bulldogs and they can go play NRL.”
For further information next week’s edition of the paper for game day details including what local games will be
played as curtain raisers to the Western Clydesdales and Townsville Blackhawks game.
