The North Queensland Cowboys have confirmed coach Todd Payten has agreed to terms for a contract extension which will see him remain in Townsville until at least the end of 2028.
The extension of Payten will see him surpass Paul Green as the longest tenure for a Cowboys coach in the history of the club.
Payten was at the helm of the Cowboys' successful 2022 season, where they reached a preliminary final, playing it at home for the first time.
He then took the side into a finals series again in 2024, making it to the second week of finals.
Payten was thrilled to be re-signing with the club and remains focused on delivering a premiership to the region.
“North Queensland is home for my family and I'm thrilled to be able to extend for another two
seasons,” he said in a Cowboys statement.
“I love the club and the region because of the people within it.
“I am grateful to be leading this group of young men and we are committed to bringing the second
premiership to North Queensland.”
The Cowboys sit in ninth place, but given how tight the competition is this year, the club's eight wins mean they are only one behind the Warriors, who sit in second place.
Payten is excited about what the future holds for the Cowboys and is eager to develop his skilled roster throughout their pathways.
“The depth of our squad has been tested this year,” he said.
“We have given NRL debuts to Liam Sutton and Xavier Kerrisk as well as club debuts to Reed
Mahoney, Soni Luke, Matt Lodge, Ethan King and Wiremu Greig.
“Jake Clifford, Thomas Mikaele, Braidon Burns, Heilum Luki and Soni Luke are playing what I
believe is the best football of their careers.
“We also have an exciting group pushing up from underneath the NRL squad highlighted by
results in the NRLQ and Mal Meninga Cup competitions.
“Our club is well positioned for success this season and into the future.”
The Cowboys will look to celebrate the exciting update with a win over the Warriors on Sunday when they travel to Auckland.
