IF January was the month that saw Gold Coast United take Australian football by storm, February is certainly proving to be a month for their northernmost rivals to make a few waves of their own.
The biggest wave for North Queensland Fury was undoubtedly the signing of Robbie Fowler. A truly iconic figure in world football, the player with the nickname as grandiose as they come will possibly come to the league with even more to offer than Dwight Yorke.
While I (probably through bias as much as genuine analytical ability) suspect Jason Culina will offer more in terms of footballing ability and contribution to the team, Fowler certainly has the "wow" factor to trump Palmer and Bleiberg's ace.
Other names floating around the rumour mill for NQF are also very impressive. Paul Henderson would be a very solid goalkeeper to backup a formidable defence stalwart Paul Kohler and exciting prospect Jacob Timpano. Either Brendan Santalab or Jeremy Brockie could thrive partnering the great man Fowler up front.
And if they can pull off their second coup in signing Scott Chipperfield, Fury will have a winger capable of dominating in the way Scottish flyers were when Ian Ferguson was just a kid with a dream to play for Rangers. Felipe could thrive equally if Ferguson gives him the chance to play his natural creative game.
Ian Ferguson as a coach is also an exciting prospect for Australian football. He should work very well with assistant and friend Stewart Petrie. And while some might point to their joining the "Scottish mafia" that insist on forcing ‘boring' tactics on A-League fans, I expect more of this particular Rangers icon.
After all, his former teammates include Paul Gascoigne, Brian Laudrup, Giovanni van Bronkhorst, Mo Johnston, Charlie Miller and Andrei Kanchelskis (we won't mention Terry Butcher). I expect Fury to play a traditional Scottish formation with more freedom for the wingers and strikers than we've seen in four seasons of Lawrie McKinna.
So the question is, "Should I as a Gold Coast Utd fan be getting excited about North Queensland's prospects for the coming A-League season?" In short, probably not.
But it's kind of hard not to be caught up in the prospect of three Queensland sides mixing it at the pointy end of the table. It can only add to the rivalry between the sides if actual titles are on the line in addition to state bragging rights.
Ultimately what is good for the Fury is good for the A-League at present, and I'm more than happy to put my GCU cap aside and congratulate them for their recent efforts. A big name like Robbie Fowler combined with their strong community-based marketing strategy should help firmly entrench the game up there. It may not be on the immediate horizon, but one day I'm sure the A-League can see a Queensland trifecta.
