Broncos young gun Tom Dearden has reportedly met with the North Queensland Cowboys in discussing his future in the league, with the teenager looking to assess his options past the 2021 season as he remains off-contract.
According toย The Courier Mail,ย it is understood that Dearden spoke with Cowboys coach Todd Payten and club great Jonathan Thurston last week, with the club looking to go all-in on gaining the 19-year-old's services.
North Queensland are one of seven rival clubs in the race for the Broncos starlet, who has made it clear to Brisbane that he will be weighing up his options for the future while he remains unsigned past this season.
This year Tom Dearden achieved his "unreachable" goal - playing NRL. Watch his full storyhttps://t.co/NY2KzwTkxi pic.twitter.com/87QQNFYQSq
— Brisbane Broncos (@brisbanebroncos) October 15, 2019
Brisbane are understood to be confident in retaining the Mackay product, while the Cows see the young playmaker as a viable replacement for the departing Jake Clifford.
โThere is interest in Tom,โ Cowboys football boss Michael Luck told The Courier Mail.
โWith Jake Clifford going to Newcastle next year, we have a vacancy at halfback and we are looking at several options and Tom is among them.
โIn a tough year for the Broncos last season, Tom was pretty good and he is one we are looking at.
โWe talked to Tom about how our squad looked. He was impressed with what he saw. Todd (Payten) is very up front in how he talks to his players and how we wants our team to play and what role they have at our club.
๐ฅTom Dearden!๐ฅ
He's gone in, out around and over! The Broncos are right in it.
STREAM: https://t.co/sZc0oYV6ek#9WWOS #NRL #NRLBroncosDragons pic.twitter.com/7TmnrWfGdh
— Wide World of Sports (@wwos) August 21, 2020
โThis deal wonโt be done in the next few days, but Iโd like to think he liked what he saw ... we will see how we go.โ
Dearden remains one of the many young names Broncos coach Kevin Walters is keen to retain as he begins his new tenure at Red Hill, with star centre Kotoni Staggs and Origin winger Xavier Coates both off-contract.
Damn.
Looks like you have lost another panthers junior EastOfDredge.
You talk dribble mreel….
However. It would be nice to see say Haze Dunster ( Born New Zealand ) , or Will Penisini ( Born Quakers Hill ) get a go at Parramatta at some stage . Theyโre as close as Parramatta has come to locals in their first grade team in some time. Could almost include Dylan Brown ( Born New Zealand ), as he arrived at 15.
Letโs look at the Parramatta backline this year…
Gutherson ( Born Manly ), Sivo ( Born Fiji , via Penrith system ) , Blake ( Born Western Australia, via Penrith system at 15 ), Opacic ( Born Redcliffe ) or Oldfield ( Born Manly ) . To replace Jennings ( Born Penrith ), Ferguson ( Born Wellington , Cronulla etc.. ), Brown ( Born New Zealand , Parramatta from 15 ) . Moses ( Born Ryde , West Tigers ).
Trying to buy Staggs ( Born Wellington, Through Brisbane system ) .
No need to say any more than that mreel. ๐