A premiership would give the North Queensland region hope, according to Cowboys club boss Greg Tonner, who has called for Sydneysiders to adopt his team for a day in the face of a struggling economy.

The Cowboys want to channel the same momentum built by the Newcastle Knights, who went on to win the 1997 premiership despite growing uncertainty surrounding their town. Their famous victory came off the back of a whirlwind of support from a Sydney crowd who largely chanted for the Newcastle instead of premiership favourites Manly.

Tonner has laid down a challenge to the ANZ Stadium crowd, developing a hit list of reasons why the Cowboys should become "your" team for at least one day when they take on rugby league glamour club Brisbane on Sunday.

"We can't get all our fans to the game so we need to tag team," Tonner told Fairfax Media in Townsville on Wednesday. "Tyranny of distance makes it really hard. People give but they can only give so much.

"We need Sydney's help because we can't get the whole of North Queensland to Sydney."

The Knights' success changed a town who had struggled with massive job cuts off the back of the steelworks closure. Tonner said premiership success would do even more for the people of North Queensland.

"For North Queensland, it's everything," Tonner said. "It's the one thing that brings us together. I don't think we would ever see emotion pour out [like we will] if we win. It sets confidence.

"We don't have a lot to celebrate. It's been a really tough five years. Socially [rugby league] has a connection. We are in drought. It might give people energy to keep going and break out with new ideas. It will lift everyone. With an economy that is struggling, not only does it bring hope, our success is building confidence. The scale would be infinity bigger [than the Knights]."

Inching towards 15,000 members for the first time, the Cowboys want to expand their membership base to 20,000 next year, as crowds grow. They are also on the lookout for a new sleeve sponsor, which could bring in about $450,000 into the club's bank balance as they continue to push for a new stadium in Townsville.

Tonner, who is in his first season in charge of the club, is reviewing the club's connectivity to its wide-reaching fan base.

"We are community-owned but our community from a land mass point of view is all of NSW and an equivalent of three Victorias," Tonner said. "The more you get away from the centre of the stadium that passion grows. North Queensland feels so far away from Australia. We feel a lot more focus in the south part of the state and the southern states than there is North Queensland. But what do we do really well? We play rugby league really well."

The Cowboys will travel with 10,000 Johnathan Thurston replica headgears when they fly to Sydney on Thursday.

Why you should go for the Cowboys in the grand final, according to club boss Greg Tonner

1. The Cowboys have never won a premiership.
2. The Cowboys will have the only NSW Origin player on hand in James Tamou.
3. Johnathan Thurston.
4. Most Cowboys fans can't get to the game.
5. The Cowboys represent the country areas and all of the country is doing it tough.