North Queensland youngster Jaxon Purdue has reportedly landed a development contract with the team for the upcoming 2025 NRL season.
As reported by Code Sports, Purdue will progress onto the club's development list for next season, joining Marly Bitungane, Mason Kira, and Jamal Shibasaki.
This comes after the 19-year-old featured in eight first-grade appearances in his maiden NRL season, scoring two tries and making 410 running metres.
Having shown that he can play a multitude of different positions in the backline, he will now be entangled in a three-way battle for the No.7 jersey - his primary position - competing against Jake Clifford and Tom Duffy.
Earlier this year, Zero Tackle reported that Kira will be on a development contract next season before progressing onto the Top 30 roster for the 2026 season, while Mutua Brown has also earned a train and trial contract for next season.
RELATED >> Jaxon Purdue opens up on NRL debut, idols and goals
Having always played rugby league - and touch football - as a junior, he moved to Townsville under the Cowboys development program but has always been a North Queensland supporter.
"He was my favourite player as well," he told Zero Tackle on teammate Jason Taumalolo.
"I got him on my screensaver on my PlayStation and Kyle Feldt definitely, scoring that 2015 winning Grand Final try."
A Mackay junior, Purdue has had a magnificent 12 months, which have seen him lead St Patrick's College to the Aaron Payne Cup title - where he was named the top try-scorer - make his QLD Cup debut, and now make his NRL first-grade debut.
As he looks down the road, he hopes to find more game time in the NRL in the future but insists he has to stay patient and try and learn new things every day under the tutelage of Payten, Chad Townsend and Tom Dearden.
"Probably just staying patient, just learning new thing everyday at training and asking the older boys for advice," he continued.
"If I don't get a run for the rest of the year, I'll just keep working hard for it but I'm happy I made my debut and the job's not done, the goal's not done.
"I'll just keep working hard for it."
