The Cowboys have reportedly moved to lock in Tom Dearden’s long-term future in North Queensland with a mammoth $2 million contract tabled.
That is according to The Courier Mail, who are reporting Cowboys powerbrokers are desperate to re-sign the gun five-eighth.
North Queensland’s extension offer would reportedly see Dearden remain in Townsville until the end of 2027, with his current deal expiring after the 2024 season.
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As it stands, Dearden can negotiate with rivals come November 1 and News Corp is reporting at least two NRL clubs have confirmed their interest.
Dearden could reportedly field offers upwards of $900,000-per-season with a shortage of quality playmakers across the NRL.
Cowboys boss Michael Luck confirmed the club had begun discussions to re-sign their star five-eighth.
“He is only young so we’d love to have him here for another few years,” Luck said.
“With a longer term deal for a younger player, you want to make sure the deal is good for both club and player.
“Sometimes they take a bit longer to work through.
“We feel North Queensland is a good club for Tom, so hopefully he agrees on a deal and we can keep him here for a long term.”
While rival’s offers may dwarf that of the Cowboys, it remains unlikely Dearden will depart Townsville after finding his feet alongside Chad Townsend.
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Coach Todd Payten has also played a pivotal role in his resurgence after joining the Cowboys in a mid-season switch from the Broncos.
Dearden also earned his debut Queensland cap in the 2022 series decider, delivering a strong performance on debut to lift the trophy.
While the Cowboys were keen to secure their playmaker’s services, Dearden’s manager Sam Ayoub was in no rush.
“The Cowboys have put something to us, but it’s too premature to be considering an extension at this stage,” he said.
“Any quality half in the NRL at the moment will have interest because there is a shortage of quality halves.
“There is some interest in Tom. He is a top-end quality playmaker, he has played State of Origin.
“The Cowboys have been very good for Tom and he has done a lot in return as well. You always acknowledge the effort clubs put into a player. They worked really hard on Tom to get him up there when he was doing it tough at the Broncos.”
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