Cronulla halfback Chad Townsend has joined the North Queensland in a deal that will begin in 2022.
It is understood that Townsend informed his teammates of the decision on Wednesday prior to an official announcement by the Cowboys.
Townsend held an option in his favour to sign on with the Sharks for next year, but will now sign a deal worth a reported $2 million across three seasons.
RELATED: Sharks sign former Melbourne star
“Chad is a premiership winner on the field and proven professional off it,” Cowboys Head of Football Michael Luck told the club website.
“The level of professionalism he brings off the field is what we were most impressed with when doing our research on Chad and we look forward to him mentoring our young playing group upon his arrival in 2022.”
The Cowboys have been previously linked to halfbacks Adam Reynolds and Tom Dearden as they look to take action on the money leftover by the departed Josh McGuire and Michael Morgan.
Breaking: Chad Townsend has just informed Cronulla players at a team meeting he is quitting the club at season’s end. Cowboys will today announce a three-year for Townsend worth $2 million.
— Pete Badel (@badel_cmail) April 20, 2021
Reynolds has also been linked to Cronulla, with Townsend's potential departure possibly opening up a move to the Sharks for the Bunnies captain.
Get set for the footy with the FREE Zero Tackle 2026 NRL Season Guide! Packed with 130+ pages of player profiles, team previews, insights and analysis, the 2026 NRL Season Guide is built for fans who want the full picture. Download your free Season Guide HERE.
