When a team struggles, the first step is to tweak the roster. The second is to turn over the roster. The third is to re-evaluate the coach, then the CEO and then the board. During Todd Payten’s tenure, the Cowboys have turned over the roster with at least two big clean outs and results have not meaningfully improved. Instead of sacking him last year, North Queensland opted to replace the assistant coaches. This interim step leaves Payten, and a metaphorically significant length of rope, solely responsible for this year’s result.
I will acknowledge that it is an even numbered year and perhaps the Cowboys draw special inspiration from our Olympic representatives to pull themselves to the top of the non-quite-contending pile but while it is narratively convenient, it does seem like a long bow to draw. The Cowboys hierarchy have waited for proof 2022 was no fluke, even though the accumulation of evidence - the ‘21, ‘23 and ‘25 seasons weighed against the ‘22 and ‘24 seasons - make it seem like it almost certainly was.
The pattern of Payten’s tenure has been bad-good-bad-ok-bad. That might look like he sometimes has good teams and sometimes had bad ones, but I think it is reflective that you don’t really know what you’re getting month-to-month. Some years those dice rolls add up to a bunch of wins and some years, it doesn’t. Call it the craps theory of the North Queensland Cowboys.
The upside, and perhaps the only reason that Payten still has a job, is that the Cowboys seem to have gotten past the absolute bottom of the barrel post-Thurston era. The best result in the late Paul Green era from 2018 to 2021 was 13th. The worst result of Payten’s cycle of 2022 to 2025 was 12th. That is progress but hardly satisfying and does not indicate steady growth towards the ultimate goal. Beating the Tigers and the Titans while the Broncos win the title and butcher the World Club Challenge is not where this club wants to, or should, be.
Jeremiah Nanai exploded for Samoa before destroying his shoulder and missing the first ten weeks of this season. He was not the only one to have an interesting representative offseason. Even Reuben Cotter played noticeably better and harder for the whole of Queensland than he did for just the northern part. If you contrast these individual players’ lack lustre club performance against their lustrous representative performances, and wonder why the discrepancy exists, then we might start looking at the variables.
There are more club games. The jerseys are different colours. Home grounds and the vibes of different team mates might put players in a better frame of mind. But a lot of that, directly and indirectly, comes back through the coaching regime and the man who is paid the money to take responsibiltiy for the performance of that regime is Todd Payten.
I hope this helps you clarify any feelings of frustration or powerlessness
Naturally, Payten is responsible for the results but does not actually play the games. That comes down to the roster. I am developing a theory of what constitutes a “Cowboys signing” and I think there are three types.
There are your Scott Drinkwaters, Reece Robsons and Tom Deardens. Good players who were surplus to requirements at their respective clubs who have found at home in Townsville. Even Johnathan Thurston, the Brisbane kid at the Bulldogs, fits this description. Reed Mahoney, from the Sunny Coast hinterland1, is another and while I personally think he’s a little shit, North Queensland could hardly have done better to replace Robson from the options available.
There are your Reuben Cotters (when he can be bothered), Heilum Lukis and Jake Cliffords, who are locals and probably never wanted to go anywhere else, even if in Clifford’s (and Dearden’s) case, they did. That’s Matt Bowen and Kyle Feldt. These guys are like shooting fish in a barrel.
The most recent generation of young men brought through the Cowboys system have had been a mixed bag. Purdue is likely a success and likely a defensive liability. Laybutt, perhaps not so much after a disappointing return from an ACL. Chester might have something. Derby is going to have to leave and make it big elsewhere in the grand tradition of many ex-Cowboys. Duffy sucked and his presence at Brisbane remains inexplicable. Not one of them could make a single yard over replacement and none of them are forwards. No one has signed Dudley Dotoi yet and it drives me nuts.
Finally, there are the mysteries. Why did the Cowboys sign John Bateman? There were injury problems in that position, agreed, but was a guy barely hanging on in Super League the best the Cowboys could do? While Bateman did maybe ok sort of, Chad Townsend made more sense at the time and I openly laughed at that one.
Which brings us to a very low stakes signing but one with significant “guuhhh?” factor: Matthew Lodge.
Lodge played in 12 games for the Sea Eagles in 2025 after agreeing to a one-year deal late in the pre-season.
Lodge adds significant depth and experience to a Cowboys forward pack, which will be without young stars Jeremiah Nanai and Griffin Neame to start the 2026 season.
“We are fortunate to be able to secure someone of Matt’s experience this late in the pre-season,” Cowboys General Manager of Football Micheal Luck said.
There is a reason - many, in fact - he was available. This is his sixth club. Lodge might pan out and give the Cowboys a solid six weeks but that is the best case scenario. You’re telling me Lodge provides better cover than keeping Marly Bitungane or giving Josh Stuckey a proper go? Come now.
This kind of signing is almost a signature Cowboys move. It ostensibly solves a problem - bolstering a saggy middle - but is left field enough - a guy who played 12 matches last year - while lacking obvious quality - Lodge’s best years are well behind him - that it makes you wonder about the guys in charge and if we won’t be doing some re-evaluation of their place in this organisation down the track.
“With the departure of Karl Lawton, we had an open spot in our roster for an experienced dummy-half to complement Reed Mahoney and Xavier Kerrisk,” Cowboys General Manager of Football Micheal Luck said.
That’s more like it. I can be complimentary about complementarity.
Speaking of Lodge-like monsters:
North Queensland have denied any interest in signing former NRLW half Maddie Studdon for 2026 after the club was mentioned in a court hearing on Wednesday for a domestic violence-related stalking charge.
To be clear, Studdon is the one accused of stalking of her former partner. This lone charge justifies everything negative I’ve written about her since 2018. For the Cowboys, that you have to deny it in the newspaper (albeit, for reasons probably related to a later story) is not a good sign!
Structure
Even for me, organisational charts are not the most interesting thing in the world but the Cowboys have come in with a beauty:
David Myles has been appointed as Chairman of the Football Club board, while Micheal Luck has been promoted to CEO - Football.
Cowboys premiership-winning captains Johnathan Thurston and Matthew Scott along with 229-game NRL veteran Brent Tate join Myles on the Football Club Board.
The Football Club leadership announcements follow the implementation of a new structure across all Cowboys operating entities – Football Club, Cowboys Leagues Club, Cowboys Community Foundation and NRL Cowboys House – consolidating into a group entity titled NQ Cowboys Limited.
The Cowboys group, which includes the football team, the leagues club and some community foundations, have created a nested, byzantine structure of boards, presumably in an attempt to clearly demarcate zones of responsibility and improve leadership, cohesion and accountability across the organisation.
For the football club, because we are not concerned with NRL Cowboys House, does this achieve that goal? The theory of the board is to get a bunch of people with similar domain knowledge but differing experiences to lend that experience to the high level strategic decision-making of an organisation. While Myles, Thurston, Scott and Tate have had varying post-playing careers that might have let them accumulate that experience, and their playing careers lend them a great deal of credibility, the four of them forms a very small board (most football clubs have boards that are five to nine people) and is not particularly diverse (most clubs have boards with non-athletes and women). For contrast, I’ve talked about who is on the Chiefs and the Bears boards recently. Are you telling me they asked Little Robbie Katter and he said no?2
Putting aside the frailties of people and the temptations of power that can send this theory askew in reality (cf: Wests Tigers), diversity is important. A group of accountants will make different decisions to a group of lawyers or engineers or marketing and comms people because they have different backgrounds. If you take a little bit from each, the board should be able to form a more well-rounded perspective on strategy for the organisation. A lack of diversity is prone to groupthink. That the CEO is cut from the same cloth makes the situation worse.
This is not to suggest that more people from other backgrounds won’t be invited to the football club board or this is doomed to failure but it is a deviation from the norm. I usually expect negative effects of this kinds of decisions to take years to make themselves felt but the Cowboys do tend to be an accelerant.
Affiliations
We have already talked about this but for the sake of completeness:
The North Queensland Toyota Cowboys have finalised its Affiliate Club Agreements through the 2028 season.
The Northern Pride and Mackay Cutters remain as Cowboys feeder clubs, while the Townsville Blackhawks return to the fold for the first time since 2023.
As part of the agreements, the Cowboys will send players to all three feeder clubs from its NRL squad to play in the Queensland Cup.
I cannot express how big a waste of everyone’s time the Kyle Laybutt scandal ended up being. Just because we ended up back where we started does not meant this was a storm in a tea cup. Relationships and careers across the North have been damaged by this ineptitude.
Perhaps we should just be grateful that the status quo has returned for the time being and we’ll deal with the Young Guns mark 2 in a couple years’ time. If nothing else, it will give us some more content for future Bovine Bulletins.
The Cowboys and affiliates are buddy-buddy again…
…so does that mean we can be friends and I can ask you to do me the favour of sharing this piece?
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Dibb’s on Knights
Kirra Dibb returns to Newcastle:
The nib Newcastle Knights are pleased to announce Kirra Dibb has signed a 3-year NRLW contract to return to the Club until at least the end of 2028.
Dibb, 28, brings a halves skillset, leadership and experience to the Knights squad, having represented the Jillaroos, NSW Blues and Indigenous All Stars, along with almost 50 appearances since her making her NRLW debut in 2019.
The last season had some odd selection choices and Dibb seemed well out of her usual form, so that would suggest some underlying tension. The release and signing by the Knights then makes some sense, if it is unfortunate.
Also unfortunate, Tahlulah Tillett retired at the ripe old age of 27. This leaves the Cowboys without both of its 2025 starting halves coming into the 2026 season.
This is a team that had a good run and made finals that now finds itself in the middle of a rebuild. Krystal Blackwell left for Canberra and China Polata went to Cronulla. While there have been signings and extensions, who is going to play in the halves?
Whitfeld, Manzelmann and the forward pack are good assets to have, and Ricky Bobby Henry has been extended, but without a helmswoman (preferably two), it could get grim in 2026.
And don’t forget they’re all moving to Cairns in 2027!
Mr Reibel said he accepted the Cairns public’s cynical perception of how the Cowboys’ timing of expanding its presence in the Far North coincided with investments and the introduction of Papua New Guinea into the NRL.
Gee, I wonder why anyone would think that?
The Cowboys remain in the market for a Group CEO.
Ah!
Notes
Signings: six Dev List contracted players, (James) Walsh
Extension: Bree Chester
Departures: Karl Lawton (Super League)
How Will The Cowboys Use Jaxon Purdue? Typically insightful analysis from Jason.
Dallas Cowboys keep NRL’s North Queensland at arm’s length during Vegas trips
In case it wasn’t clear earlier this week or from this preview, I do not have a great deal of confidence that the Cowboys will do well this season. I have been wrong before and will be again. Draw your own conclusions.
This is the nicest way to refer to Nambour, birthplace of Billy Slater.
Better than George Christensen I suppose but you’d assume Crisafulli will be a prime target post-politics.