North Queensland Toyota Cowboys coach Paul Green was engaged on Monday in a massive evacuation of players, staff and their families after the worst floods on record have devastated the Townsville community.
Football is the farthest thing from Green's mind today, with plenty of Cowboys players and staff evacuated and the dire situation far from over.
Green, club director of football Peter Parr, acting CEO Jeff Reibel and acting chief operating officer Micheal Luck got together on Monday morning and came up with a plan about how they approached the logistical challenge confronting them.
The Cowboys, as a club, have bound together to deal with the unfolding situation.
"Today is about taking a head count and making sure everyone is accounted for and is safe and secure," Green told NRL.com on Monday morning.
"The second thing is about organising some short-term accommodation for everyone.
"A lot of the guys – staff and players included – live in Idalia which is right in the centre of the worst part of the flooding.
"We have just got everyone out. We are just waiting on one more, Benny Hampton, and that is everyone safe. We had families staying in evacuation centres last night so we have just got them all out of those centres now and are organising places for them to stay with other staff and in rooms we have got organised."
Players such as Hampton, Gavin Cooper, Jake Granville, Ethan Lowe and Nene Macdonald have all been affected along with staff members David Fairleigh, Glenn Hall and high performance chief Michael Dobbin who recently moved from Western Australia with his family.
Some of them were only evacuated at 2.30am on Monday morning, from where they were taken to the evacuation centres.
"We've only just managed to get them all out of there now and get them into accommodation," Green said.
"We are just working through that now."
Green said he understood Hampton was safe, with prop Scott Bolton on the way to rescue him by boat.
"Benny didn't want to get in a tinnie because he has got hunting dogs and was worried they might bite someone," Green chuckled.
"So he was waiting for Scott Bolton to come and pick him up. Bolts is getting his tinnie and has dogs himself, so he knows what they are like. They have hunted together before so that is why he is waiting for Bolts."
Cowboys forward John Asiata and former star Antonio Winterstein have also swung into action and rescued several players and local residents by boat.
Green said the natural disaster devastating Townsville was far from over.
"It is the worst flood they have ever had and it is not finished yet. We have still got more rain coming. It is about to get heavier today and continue up until Sunday," Green said.
