Develpoment is Cougars goal | Rockhampton Sport | Local Sports in Rockhampton

DEVELOPMENT is what the Young Cougars should be about and Webbers Retravision Cougars chief executive Bevan Dingley is out to sell the concept to Central Queensland.

“It has got to a stage where we need it to happen,” he said.

Numbers wanting to play in the age group representative team had been disappointing from the outset and former coach Todd Rush had been alarmed that players identified as talent of the right age had not come forward and made themselves available.

“Due to non-availability and club pressure it just didn’t work,” Dingley said.

While Townsville and Mackay have embraced the concept of having a youth team, playing in the highest level of local senior competition, and then benefited when taking those players into their representative competition, Central Queensland has been slow to grasp the idea.

So slow that the team will now come under the Cougars banner, locally as a reserve team and with CQ Zone funding the rep team.

“We’ll be taking the on-field duties,” Dingley said.

Those duties will include assisting with the coaching as the Cougars’ attempt to raise the bar for football development in the area.

“It has been rubber-stamped by Football Queensland,” he said.

“The team will be under-19 with (Cougars) reserves dropping back in.”

Dingley expects about four of the senior Cougars to be available each week.

Regional development officer for Central Queensland, Washington Gonzales, is not allowed, by his employer FQ, to take charge of the team, but has attended recent Cougars sessions and will conduct sessions for whoever is given responsibility of the team.

“We do have someone in mind, but he has yet to confirm,” Dingley said.

It is also hoped a top Gladstone coach, possibly John Sunderland, will prepare boys in that area one night each week with those players then travelling to Rockhampton to work with the squad on another night.

The first real test will be a week on Saturday when the Young Cougars travel with the senior team and play against the Young Whitsunday Miners at Moranbah.

Last year the Miners team was too strong for the local lads, playing like a unit due to week-in and week-out competition.

Dingley admits it is a big commitment for young players moving from the junior levels of the sport and into an environment where the attitude is semi-professional, but anything less would be unfair on a player who was wishing to make an impact in the higher levels of the game.

“They will be treated like senior players,” Dingley confirmed.

The Young Cougars first session with the senior squad begins at 6pm tonight at CQUniversity.

State of play

The Young Cougars representative program

Hyundai QSL Youth League (North)

April 2 v Whitsunday Miners (Ryan Park)

April 24 v FNQ Bulls (Mareeba)

May 8 v NQ Razorbacks (Ryan Park)

May 22 v Whitsunday Miners (Mackay)

June 12 v FNQ Bulls (Ryan Park)

June 26 v NQ Razorbacks (Townsville)