Rugby League: Cowboys' Prince abdicates

By PETER JESSUP

Not even the promised gale on Saturday night will be able to clear Ericsson Stadium of the pall of desperation as the troubled North Queensland Cowboys come to fight the equally bothered Auckland Warriors for rugby league's wooden spoon.

The Cowboys were out of their comfort zone before they flew out of the warm mid-winter of Townsville yesterday, a team wondering if coach Tim Sheens would be around much longer and shaken by news their star prospect was leaving.

Off-contract five-eighths Scott Prince did no one at the Cowboys any favours when he said he had not signed anywhere else but would not be staying in Townsville because he believed his chances of representative honours were being hindered by their perpetually poor position on the table.

North Queensland's chief executive Rabieh Krayem said all were disappointed in Prince's decision, especially given the investment the Cowboys had put into him over the past five years.

"We saw him as part of the future, but at the end of the day if he doesn't want to be here it's best he's not."

The 20-year-old has been targeted by the Melbourne Storm, Northern Eagles and Sydney Roosters.

Krayem denied that the season-long speculation about the strength of Sheens' hold on the coaching position had anything to do with the team's poor performance.

They had the worst run of injury of any of the 14 sides in the NRL, with 46 players used in the top grade this year, and a premiership-level 13 still sidelined by long-term injury. "It's more the media playing that up. We've been playing our best football in the last month."

The Cowboys beat Wests Tigers last week, Penrith the previous week and lost to Melbourne before that.

Krayem agreed that Sheens' position was being reviewed through their final games against the Roosters and Raiders in Townsville.

"Tim Sheens is under review, as everyone is at the end of each season. You look to what's best for the club."

Sheens would not be replaced before the end of the season.

Prince urged the club to resolve the issue quickly, saying the players deserved to be told who would be guiding them.

The Warriors are two weeks away from a decision on their coach for next season, with former Roosters and NSW Origin coach Phil Gould having ruled himself out.

Club management are still talking to other candidates.

Incumbent Mark Graham is still in the running, but that is under threat of being overtaken by the sale of shareholdings by Tainui and the Graham Lowe-Malcolm Boyle partnership.