Sione Faumuina -> Gold Coast?

[Poida]

a good pick up by the Cows, put him at lock, if they get his head right he can be a match winner, might be enough to get the Cows out of the Spoon position....

Lol you and your spoon theories.

[Future Star]

Cowboys are going to be a real threat next year, and a few years beyond.

JT, O'donnel, Webb, Payne(both respectable players), Matty Bowen, Ty Williams, This dude, plus the up-and-coming star Scott Bolton - Im a big fan. These players will pave the way into a new era for the Cowboys, Within the next few years this team will become a finals out-fit.
Very smart buying from the Cowboys

[DIEHARD]

Well we can lay this one to rest...

Cowboys sign Sione Faumuina

The North Queensland Cowboys have signed a two year contract with former New Zealand Test player Sione Faumuina for the 2007 and 2008 NRL seasons.

Sione accepted the offer after discussions with rival NRL clubs the Broncos and Titans, after visiting Townsville prior to the Christmas break.

The talented NRL star stated his main reason for joining the Cowboys was to enhance his career in the NRL, and test match arena for New Zealand.

After a disrupted 2006 due to injury and personal issues Sione felt the Cowboys offered him a number of advantages that included a focussed on and off field professional structure and an opportunity to be closer to his mother and siblings.

Coach Graham Murray believes Sione to be a very strong addition to the Cowboys squad.
?Sione is a tremendous player and has a skill level with the ball that compliments his athleticism. His versatility across the field is top class but our focus will be to provide as much opportunity for him to play well in his preferred position as a backrower?

?We as a club have prided ourselves in bringing out the best in players over the last few seasons. I?m sure Sione will be no exception to that?

Sione has relocated to Townsville and will join the training squad as from today ? Wednesday 3rd January.

NQ Cowboys

[qld power]

think the kiwis have enough bak row so dont see him getting bak into the team

[Future Star]

think the kiwis have enough bak row so dont see him getting bak into the team

I'd put him in above Adam Blair..

[Sonny-Skill]

From nrl.com

Cowboys lay down the law to Faumuina
Wednesday, January 3, 2007 - 6:16 PM

North Queensland officials laid down the law to wayward rugby league star Sione Faumuina before agreeing to throw the former New Zealand international an NRL lifeline.

Faumuina, who has two Test caps, rejected overtures from Brisbane and Gold Coast to join the Cowboys and relaunch his career in Townsville after it nosedived during a tumultuous 2006.

The 25-year-old secured the two-year deal with North Queensland despite concerns over previous indiscretions.

Faumuina cited personal reasons when he sensationally walked out of a three-year deal with English Super League side Harlequins only months after being sacked by the New Zealand Warriors for several alcohol-fuelled incidents.

The 101kg utility first fell out of favour at the Warriors after he drunkenly abused Warriors coach Ivan Cleary, Kiwi mentor Brian McClennan and New Zealand teammate Ruben Wiki at Awen Guttenbeil's testimonial luncheon in 2006.

He was sacked after another rant in front of fans following the Warriors' final NRL game of the 2006 season.

North Queensland football manager Kelly Egan said the club had made Faumuina acutely aware of the Cowboys strict disciplinarian regime.

The Cowboys last year sacked representative forward Mitchell Sargent after an in-house drug test showed he had used cocaine.

It was Sargent's first indiscretion.

"Sione's quite clear on his situation with the club and we've been nothing but direct and honest the whole time through the whole process," Egan said.

"For us, he's a welcome addition and he won't be treated any differently to anybody else here.

"We have a good standard and code of conduct and he's very aware of that so we're very happy that he's taken that on board and he by his own admission is very keen to uphold that."

Faumuina said he was confident he had put his personal demons to bed.

"Coming up here for a fresh start with a new club, I didn't want to leave the NRL in the first place, but I'm happy that I'm back," he said.

"I just want to play footy."

Faumuina had come under fire again this week from his manager Peter Brown's business partner, former New Zealand rugby league coach Frank Endacott, who said there was a "big question mark" hanging over the Kiwi giant's head.

Endacott claimed Brown had threatened to sever ties with his client.

But Faumuina returned serve by revealing he had negotiated his own contract with the Cowboys and had only used Brown to negotiate his deal with Harlequins.

"I can confirm that Peter Brown was not actually my manager," he said.

"I hired him for a one-off deal and that was it. That was the Super League deal. After that I came and did my own stuff."

Faumuina faces a torrid task in claiming one of the Cowboys' back-row positions with a dog-fight set to break-out during the pre-season with a host of players jostling for a starting role.

Faumuina, who prefers second-row, will compete with Luke O'Donnell, Jacob Lillyman, Steve Southern, Matt Scott, Joe Clarke and Carl Webb for a first grade berth.

North Queensland coach Graham Murray said Faumuina could fill the noticeable void left by Paul Rauhihi who retired at the end of the 2005 season.