The North Queensland Cowboys have repelled a pack of rival suitors and locked away backline sensation Jaxon Purdue on a four-year, $3 million extension, securing one of the NRL's most exciting young talents until the end of 2030.
The Courier Mail reported the news, as well as that Purdue was shaping as one of the off-season's most contested signatures, with the Melbourne Storm, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and expansion outfit Perth Bears all circling.
The Cowboys turned up the heat on negotiations last month, and it has paid dividends.
While the two parties were initially at odds over the financials, talks gathered momentum to where Purdue and his camp are now content to sign without so much as a glance at the open market.
The deal, understood to be worth at least $750,000 per season across a four-year term, is in its final stages of being formalised.
The timing couldn't be sweeter, with the Cowboys set to face the Broncos in Friday night's derby at Suncorp Stadium.
Since his debut in 2024, Purdue has scored 20 tries in 37 games and with his blistering speed and adaptability, seamlessly shifting between fullback, centre and five-eighth, he has set himself apart as a star of the future.
Alongside Queensland Origin halfback Tom Dearden, Purdue is central to the Cowboys' ambitions of forcing their way back into premiership contention.
