It's the NRL rumour that simply refuses to go away. Tom Dearden wants to leave the Cowboys and come to Sydney.

Despite being forced to bat it away on multiple occassions throughout the course of the year, the speculation started again this week following the Sydney Roosters' decision to take a deal off the table for Sam Walker.

Walker, who was in the final stages of negotiating a contract extension with the Roosters to the point a press release was ready to go, is understood to have asked for more money on Monday afternoon, around the same time a deadline had been set by the Roosters, and chairman Nick Politis decided enough was enough, ripping up the deal.

There was still some hope in certain circles the Roosters and Walker would come back to the table in the coming weeks, but comments from Politis this week suggested that won't be happening, and then were echoed by coach Trent Robinson during Channel 7s Rugby League World Cup broadcast in Wollongong on Friday evening.

That ultimately means the Roosters are on the lookout for a new halfback come 2028, or potentially sooner, although at this stage the Roosters are still suggesting Walker will remain with the tri-colours until the end of his contract.

Dearden was almost immediately linked with a player swap to the Roosters after the news first surfaced regarding Walker, but the Queensland Origin star came out yet again on Friday in Kangaroos camp ahead of their match against the Cook Islands to shut down the idea of leaving the Cowboys.

“Nothing has changed from what I've said in a few interviews now, I'm not going anywhere, I'm at the Cowboys,” Dearden told reporters.

“I know there's a fair bit of speculation, it's a bit of a circus coming up to November 1 for a lot of players. But it's exactly the same for me.

“We've been very clear that she's coming up to Townsville and none of that's changed. I think you can sort of understand the speculation with Millie being down in Sydney.

“The whole time I've been playing here for the Kangaroos and that's where my focus has been. You just sort of let all the outside noise, just be outside noise.”

Dearden, who has played 118 games for the Cowboys, is contracted long-term in Townsville and will likely line up alongside Jake Clifford as part of Todd Payten's side to start the 2027 campaign.