Cowboys sign Te Maire Martin

The North Queensland Toyota Cowboys have signed half Te Maire Martin to the club until the end of the 2019 National Rugby League season.

Martin, 21, will begin training with his new club this week after being granted a release from the Penrith Panthers.

“We always keep an eye on the player market, and when a chance to sign a quality player comes up, we explore that opportunity in line with our recruitment needs,” said Cowboys General Manager – Football Peter Parr.

“Te Maire is a very good young footballer with plenty of potential and we’re pleased that he will join our NRL squad for the remainder of this season and beyond.

“He will add important depth to the halves position and we look forward to him learning and further developing his skills under our coaching staff.”

Born and raised in New Zealand, Martin is a two-time Junior Kiwi and attended well-renowned rugby league nursery Keebra Park High School on the Gold Coast.

He played for Wests Tigers’ National Youth Competition side in the 2014-15 seasons, playing 40 matches and scoring 15 tries.

He joined the Panthers’ NRL squad in 2016, making his top-flight debut in Round 3 last season, going on to play 13 matches for the Sydney club.

“I’m excited to join the Cowboys and to start a new chapter in my rugby league career,” Martin said.

The young playmaker over the weekend said he was keen to learn and develop as a player from the club’s coaching staff and champion halfback Johnathan Thurston.

“I’m at the early stages of my learning so what better way to learn than from JT himself,” he said.