Awkward saga fixed as Cowboys secure $100k charter flight

The NRL has come to the rescue to help North Queensland get to Sydney in time for Friday's semi final. The Cowboys were facing an awkward situation after failing to book ahead and secure passage from Townsville to the NSW capital. Tickets on direct flights from Townsville to Sydney this week sold like hotcakes after the Cowboys beat the Knights on Saturday to progress to week two of finals. Airlines were also accused of dramatically hiking prices, with as much as $1700 charged for a return flight to Sydney. Fans still flocked to buy tickets so they can watch the team take on Cronulla at Allianz Stadium at Sydney's Moore Park. But the rush has left the actual players and staff in the awkward position of not having any flights booked. The Courier Mail reports the NRL has now agreed to share the cost of a charter flight to get the team from Townsville to Sydney on Thursday. "Hopefully we can get it sorted today, we need to know how we are getting down there and how we are getting back," club football boss Michael Luck told the Courier Mail on Tuesday. "The NRL and the airlines always try and accommodate us. There weren't enough seats for us on any commercial flights, so the NRL was working with an agency to sort that out. "Unless Virgin or Jetstar put on another commercial flight, which they have done before, we might have to get a charter flight to Sydney. "There's only two direct commercial flights from Townsville to Sydney, but we have a party of 36 plus all our travel gear, so there's not enough seats for our team on those flights. "We're working with the NRL to make sure our team gets there at the normal time." Luck says the club has figured out a travel "routine" which he believes has helped improve the team's winning record in Sydney. The Cowboys aim to fly direct to Sydney the day before a game and arrive at their hotel early in the afternoon, giving the players enough time to recover before kick off. The Sharks - who finished higher on the ladder - have the luxury of travelling less than an hour from their base in the Shire. Cronulla was keen to host the game at Shark Park but the NRL opted for the much larger and more up-to-date Allianz Stadium just to the east of the city.