North Queensland's decision to drop playmaker Jake Clifford for Round 20 has been questioned off the back of the Cowboys' 20-point defeat to The Dolphins over the weekend.
Todd Payten opted in favour of Jaxon Purdue to partner Tom Dearden in the halves, with Clifford demoted to a reserves jersey after playing every minute of the team's season so far.
The selection call comes after Clifford fell out of favour under Payten last year, with Purdue viewed as a priority option throughout the season before starting in the centres to commence 2026.
With Dearden back in the squad to face The Dolphins for the first time since Round 10, a decision on who the Queensland representative partners needed to be made, with Payten pulling the trigger on Purdue over Clifford, who had both shared the halves duties in Dearden's absence.
The decision to cull Clifford has left Loose Carry NRL Podcast presenter Scott Pryde bemused, with the Cowboys' record with Clifford starting much improved than when he's left out of the side.
"I don't know why Todd Payten keeps dropping Jake Clifford every chance he gets. It just doesn't make sense," Pryde said on this week's episode.
"He did it last year, and the Cowboys had a pretty good record with Jake Clifford and a pretty terrible one without Jake Clifford. They got towelled up by the Dolphins (without Clifford).
"I don't know what Jake Clifford did to get dropped and I don't know what Jaxon Purdue did to stay in the halves over Clifford to begin with. I just don't get it. Purdue is probably going to be the fullback next year, he's not going to be the five-eighth.
"I just don't know why they'd go down this line. They've re-signed Clifford. I just don't get it."
