NRL Rd 25 - Wests Tigers v Bulldogs
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 05: Luciano Leilua of the Tigers walks off the field during the round 25 NRL match between the Wests Tigers and the Canterbury Bulldogs at Moreton Daily Stadium, on September 05, 2021, in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)

North Queensland Cowboys coach Todd Payten has confirmed Luciano Leilua will join the club, although a handful of items still need to be ticked off.

A report on Wednesday morning suggested the Tigers may have jumped the gun when releasing Leilua, with Channel 7s Michelle Bishop suggesting the Cowboys didn't actually have the salary cap space available for the gun second rower to join immediately.

Cowboys' director of football Michael Luck also threw the move into the speculation category by suggesting it "wasn't a done deal yet."

Despite that, Todd Payten has told reporters on Thursday after the club's captain's run ahead of their clash with the Manly Sea Eagles on Thursday that Leilua will play after the representative round, with his first clash to be in the Queensland derby against the Brisbane Broncos.

Payten said the club had already been knocked back twice when it came to signing Leilua before receiving a call on Tuesday, with the process then moving rapidly.

"We asked the question when we signed him originally," Payten said.

"We asked the question again a month ago, and both times it was a no.

"We got a call out of the blue from the Tigers' recruitment the day before yesterday. We had to look at our figures and within 45 minutes to an hour we gave them a call back and verbally agreed. Within 45 minutes to an hour there was a public statement put out by the other party.

"It's not signed off on yet, but I expect it will be.

"There are still some things to happen. He needs to get a medical, he needs to sign his termination clause, and we haven't actually drawn up a contract yet either. That's what's happened and that's where it's at."

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When quizzed on whether Leilua would take long to get up to scratch with the Cowboys' system, Payten said he believed Leilua was smart enough as a player.

"Most teams play similar, so we just have to give him the final detail of the differences in the way we defends.

"We just have to get him up to scratch with our sets, our tap starts and any sequences that we have in out play.

"He is a pretty smart kid, he has played a fair bit of first-grade.

"To answer your question about playing him, yeah, he will play against the Broncos. We have signed him to play first-grade."

Leilua's move to Townsville early will be a much-needed boost for the Cowboys following Heilum Luki's season-ending ACL injury, and a current eye injury to Dolphins'-bound forward Tom Gilbert.

Payten hasn't confirmed how long Gilbert will miss, other than that he will "miss at least a week or two." He was due to consult a specialist on Wednesday.

The Cowboys take on the Sea Eagles on Friday evening at Brookvale ahead of the representative bye round.