Hull KR’s new partnership with North Queensland Cowboys could result in an overseas tour for the club’s academy. The Challenge Cup winners announced a new major link-up with the NRL club last week, which will serve as a collaboration across all facets of the respective organisations.
Rovers are in the midst of trying to enhance their player pathways, with an emphasis on ensuring more local talent make their way from academy to first-team. Last week, the Robins launched a new elite performance centre for young talent as part of plans to enhance their current setup.
The partnership with the Cowboys has the ability to take that further again.
“There are opportunities there for our academy to go on tour in Queensland,” he said. “The Cowboys have a fantastic elite performance centre with a hotel on site, and the Cowboys are very happy for us to accommodate us if we look at paying for the flight.
“This is where the partnership can bring real benefits. Jeff Reibel (North Queensland CEO) has already said he will arrange a couple of games and that we can stay in their accommodation. It’s just a fantastic help for a club like ourselves. So it would be very advantageous for us and certainly something that we’ll be talking more on.”
Both clubs have been keen to stress that the partnership isn’t focused on first-team player movements, though Lakin did admit there was scope for Rovers to take on younger talent from the Cowboys if Super League’s quota spots do increase.
“We’re both at pains to point out it’s not about our best players go there and there’s come here. But it’s about looking at potential opportunities. For example, if the quota system does increase and there’s a young gun at Cowboys that could come over to us for a year.
“They very much feel like the Super League is a much stronger level than the Queensland Cup, and it would be a good experience for one of the stronger players to come over. We haven’t explored that yet, but that’s an example of what we could potentially do.”