The North Queensland Cowboys remain confident that star forward Jason Taumalolo will feature during the 2022 season, despite his reported vaccination status.

While it is not yet known whether the 28-year-old has rolled up his sleeve for any form of inoculation against Covid-19, The Courier Mail has claimed that the Townsville-based team is optimistic of overcoming any obstacles.

Still, given Taumalolo's past stance against receiving either the Pfizer of AstraZeneca vaccine, the Cowboy's saw fit to formally warn their star that he ran the risk of seeing his rich-deal shredded.

At the present, the Kiwi-born forward has another six-seasons to run on his $10 million contract that is set to keep him in the far-north until the cessation of 2027.

But as Taumalolo is currently prohibited from entering any state-owned stadiums, his steadfast opposition to the jab could see him locked out when the 2022 season kicks off in March.

TOWNSVILLE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 16: Jason Taumalolo of the Cowboys looks on in the rain during the round 1 NRL match between the North Queensland Cowboys and the St George Illawarra Dragons at 1300SMILES Stadium on March 16, 2019 in Townsville, Australia. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

Despite holding an ability to train with his fellow teammates due to the NRL's decision not to implement a league-wide vaccination mandate, Taumalolo has been absent from his pre-season duties of late.

It is not yet known whether this unavailability has been caused by Taumalolo contracting the virus or not.

Although there remains a very real prospect that the dual international could miss a portion, or the entirety, of the Cowboys' upcoming campaign, North Queensland's head of football, Michael Luck, stated that the members of the club's brass were not losing sleep at the present.

“We have not commented on individuals and I’m not about to start doing so,” Luck said.

“From a club perspective, we are not worried at all about 'Jase' not playing footy.”

While this ambiguity can be alleviated via a swift visit to a GP or health professional, a period of six weeks after the first dose will need to be waited out in an effort to obtain maximum efficacy.

So, with the Cowboys' opening clash against Canterbury set to start exactly two months from today, the club and their franchise player are well and truly on the clock.