Reed Mahoney's stint at the Cowboys could extend to four years with the revelation of a secret clause in his deal.
The Bulldogs dummy half will depart the club at the end of 2025 after being granted a release from the final year of his deal, and has instead signed a three-year deal with the North Queensland Cowboys.
It's the final piece of the hooking puzzle for 2026, with all clubs now having a recognised number nine.
Bailey Hayward will likely be the man to take over the role from Mahoney at the Bulldogs, while the Queensland-born player will replace Reece Robson in Townsville.
That comes with the New South Wales State of Origin player relocating to Bondi where he will join the Sydney Roosters for the next four seasons.
Mahoney's three year deal - which was announced as 'agreed to terms' rather than confirmed by the Townsville-based outfit - now apparently also has a fourth year included as a player option per a News Corp report.
It means Mahoney has the option to extend his time with the Cowboys until at least the end of 2029 in a move that could take him through to the end of his career.
Player options have become a hot topic around the competition in recent seasons, with clubs like the Parramatta Eels swearing off them after being burned by having too many on the books recently.
Mahoney will be the only known player with such a clause in Townsville though, with the 27-year-old by that stage likely to be challenged for the jumper by Xavier Kerrisk who is now a QLD Cup regular after joining the Cowboys Top 30 for the first time at the start of this year.
