WHEN footy fan Matthew McGoldrick made the decision to enter the Metropole Hotel NRL footy tipping competition, he wasn't thinking about the money if he won.

All he wanted to do was to prove a point to a fellow footy tipper in this year's competition.

He earned the kudos that came with being Proserpine's best match predictor and, in a gesture of generosity, handed $800 of his winnings to the Whitsunday Brahmans rugby league club.

"I didn't go in it to win it,” he said.

"I just wanted to beat someone else.

"And I did that.”

He pocketed the leftover $20.

Mr McGoldrick said his son played for the Proserpine Whitsunday Junior Rugby League club so he donated $400 to the junior club and $400 to the senior Brahmans.

"I like going to see the Brahmans play: How could you not like that?”

Representative of the Brahmans, Bryce Fraser, was at the Metropole Hotel last week to accept $400 on behalf of the club.

"We don't have the flash leagues club with poker machines,” he said.

"We rely on locals like Mat and sponsors to fund our club and every dollar counts.”

The Metropole is a major sponsor of the A-grade Brahmans and is considered the home pub of the team.

Stacey Bernett, who accepted $400 on behalf of the junior club, said she didn't yet know how the money would be spent as it had not been discussed by the committee.

She did however express her gratitude for the donation by Mr McGoldrick adding the junior club also relied on community donations and local government grants.

"I think that we would use it to buy training gear for the kids, she said, while thinking it over at the Metropole Hotel last week.