However, to prevent a drain on travelling expenses, the Cowboys applied to join the Queensland Cup for the 1998 season.

Competing as the Townsville Stingers, the reserve grade team had some initial success before narrowly missing the finals.

They narrowly won the Minor Premiers Trophy by beating the Dolphins by 2 points in a match in last round of the regular season at Dairy Farmers Stadium on 18 August.

They still had a 2nd chance, however, and they just needed to beat the Tweed Heads Seagulls who were in red hot form to make their 2nd Queensland Cup Grand Final appearance.

This would be the Young Guns final Queensland Cup Match as they were now officially out of the Cup due to the fact they had been merged/replaced with/by Northern Pride, based in Cairns and owned by the Cairns Taipans Australian NBL Team.