This time of year the newspapers and TV sports shows  are detailing the new  signing, the transfers, the gains and the losses, and of course speculating on the chances of teams improving their positions, going down the ladder or even which coach will be sacked during the year.

As I drive around I see young people sweating it out in the grind of a hot pre-season training schedule and kids kicking the ball around the parks like JT and Benji. They are all getting ready for another season of their favourite “thing” – a game of Rugby League.  Everyone is feeling good about themselves. Coaches are talking about “commitment”, examining the growth and physical development of their young players and encouraging their veterans to “lead” for another year. There have been no games and that means that no team has tasted defeat – undefeated feels good!

For me the All Stars game at Skilled Park signifies that the real action is about to commence. This All Stars game is fantastic and we should acknowledge Preston Campbell and the Gold Coast Titans for the concept and the commitment to promote and stage the game.

It does signify a few important features of our great game.  The All Stars game emphasises the vital role that Rugby League plays in our Indigenous communities and so likes of Chris Sandow, Johnathan Thurston and Scott Prince take enormous pride in representing their people in this show-case game.  Similarly, the inclusion players in the calibre of Josh Dugan, Jack Reed and Cooper Cronk, make for a mouth watering contest of our great game. The game is well supported by our Governments as it does provide an important message to our youth, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, about the importance of a healthily lifestyle and the necessity for a formal education. The renowned players from both teams do a marvellous job in the community leading into the game and are inspirational role models to our youth. I congratulate them all for their selection and for their community engagement.

Central Queensland is well represented. Dave Taylor, our own Coal Train, is in the All Stars and Matt Scott would have been first picked if he was not suffering a minor injury. The Indigenous team includes Central Queenslanders, Ben Barba, Jharal Yow Yew, Travis Waddell and Scott Prince.

The Head Coach of the CQ NRL Bid under 13 Junior Development program, Lionel Harbin, has been appointed the Assistant Coach of  the under 16 Queensland Indigenous team, and the Head Coach for this team is Sid Domic, who also coaches in the CQ NRL development program. Both men are young CQ Coaches will enormous potential. I know that the Central Queenslanders participating will do us proud.

The REAL ACTION is not far away

According to the NRL CEO, David Gallop, the highlights of the 2011 Telstra Premiership season include:

• Total regular season crowds of 3.13million are the second highest in history and within 0.6% of the 2010 record (3.15million) despite a significantly higher number of rain-affected matches.
• NRL Club Memberships have increased by 28% to 180,824, with the Rabbitohs and Dragons the first clubs to break the 20,000 members mark.
• NRL out rated the AFL with TV audiences  increasing  across FOX Sports, the Nine, WIN and NBN Networks with average Free To Air  ratings 1.3% higher and FOX Sports ratings  16% higher across all timeslots.
• NRL in 2011 experienced a cumulative audience of 134 million viewers in Australia and over 12 million in New Zealand.
• Ruby League boasts 74 of the Top 100 most watched programs on Subscription Television and the three most watched sporting events on FTA.
• The 2011 Telstra Premiership was the ‘cleanest’ in memory with a dramatic fall in the number of suspensions and charges for misconduct on-field, despite Round 25 contributing 12 charges and 16 weeks in suspension to the overall total of 70 charges and 53 ‘playing weeks’ lost through suspension.

 “The game has achieved significant growth across its key indicators and innovations in a wide range of areas from social media, to our community, welfare and education programs, ensure we are connecting with more members and fans than ever before.” David Gallop said in his season review.

The CQ NRL Bid has also experienced massive growth in all of its “key performance indicators” and has advanced the compelling argument for CQ’s inclusion into the NRL competition. A few notable achievements in 2011 include:

• Over 35,000 Bid members  which is up from  around 20,000 in 2010
• Over 130 Corporate partners, also up significantly from 2010
• Almost 11,000 CQ Leagues Club members which is up from approximately 4,000 in 2010
• Introduction of the QR National Schools Program which involves visiting over 120 Central Queensland schools in conjunction with the local QRL and ARL officers.
• Introduction of the QR National Scholarship Program which provides 12 scholarships for CQ youths for education and sporting expenses, mentoring and professional sport guidance.
• Establishment of the first CQ NRL team, the Stanwell under 13 Development program and Team. (what a great array of talent)
• A world standard Stadium, incorporating much needed convention facilities committed and reaffirmed by the government and now also by the opposition.
• Production of a robust Business Plan, Market Research Analysis, Media Analysis,  and Economic Impact Assessment (EIA) all of which are currently being scrutinized  by a national accounting firm.
• Significant financial investments from the CQ Corporate sector, including leading companies in the CQ Coal Industry. 

We thank the many CQ NRL Bid supporters and wish you all a happy and safe Christmas. I hope to continue my “Bid Updates” in 2012.

The compelling reasons why CQ exceeds all other Bidding regions remain unchanged i.e.:

• There is no national sporting team based in CQ and we badly need a unifying entity to represent and promote our region on the national stage.  We are “BLUE SKY” in terms of the battle for the hearts and minds of the public and for the necessary financial support from the corporate sector.
• CQ has a craving for Rugby League that is unmatched anywhere else in the world. That means we are truly the HEARTLAND and we cannot be taken for granted anymore.  The level of support that accompanies this traditional avidity for our game guarantees the required viability.
• Central Queenslanders have the right to join other Australians in supporting their own national sporting team and to benefit from the “community pride” and “self esteem” that naturally flows from having your own team.
• Central Queenslanders want and deserve to witness the game of Rugby League, played live at the highest standard possible and in a world class stadium. We want to see our own CQ players taking on the Rugby League’s best. We want our liveability increased and our entertainment options expanded.

But these important community benefits that will advantage our economic, social and cultural future are not vitally important to the NRL decision makers. They want to know “what’s the advantage for the NRL?”

A Central Queensland NRL Team offers the NRL the following advantages:

• Genuine growth in the number of consumers of the NRL product, both the live, on-ground audience and by the plethora of media forms that deliver the modern game to the consuming public. This means a natural increase in the value of the MEDIA RIGHTS which are being negotiated in 2012. New fans, new companies, all engaged in new MARKET.
• Because Central Queensland is HEARTLAND Rugby League, expansion into CQ will not negatively impact on other NRL clubs because of the poaching of talent. We will use our own talented young men in our teams, so no dilution, only growth.
• A CQ NRL Team will produce new RIVALRY games against all three current Queensland based NRL Clubs. Six massive games, home and away for CQ versus the Cowboys, Broncos and Titans plus St George, Storm, Bulldogs, Parramatta, etc. Full stadia, huge TV audiences.
• Creation of clearly defined career pathways for aspiring Rugby League players from CQ with the most extensive and holistic DEVELOPMENT program that the NRL has ever experienced. The CQ NRL will provide OPPORTUNITIES and will assist to “Close the Gap” by setting new standards of player welfare and community engagement.