A number of Cowboys face uncertain futures as the club prepares for a cleanout of its squad.
It comes as Josh McGuire's move to the St George Illawarra Dragons is imminent, per multiple reports.
According to The Daily Telegraph, Jordan McLean, Coen Hess, Justin OโNeill, Scott Drinkwater, Ben Hampton, Corey Jensen and Jake Granville are playing for their careers at North Queensland.
SEE ALSO: Former NRL star duo Gareth Widdop and Will Chambers โshoppedโ to Cronulla Sharks
The Australian's Brent Read reports that McGuire could be at the Red V as early as next week.
โThe Josh McGuire negotiations continue with the Dragons,โ he said on Triple Mย on Saturday.
โThe likelihood is that it will be finalised at some point, if not over the weekend, early next week.
โHe wonโt play this weekend, heโs actually got an infection I believe in his elbow and he would have been 50/50 to play anyway.
โI think theyโve just decided that heโs probably not going to be there next week, he hasnโt played a lot of footy lately, itโs best to persist without him this weekend.
โI expect that in the coming days there will be an announcement he will be moving to St. George-Illawarra.โ
Earlier reports that McGuire could be involved in a player swap will not facilitate, with the Cowboys and Dragons now trying to work through a financial arrangement that suits both clubs.
โThe bigger issue there was money, because heโs (McGuire) on a big deal next year,โ Read said.
โBasically the two parties had to agree on an amount the Cowboys would put in next season to make the deal palatable to St. George. Thatโs what theyโre working on at the moment, finding an amount of money both sides can agree with.โ
Coach Todd Payten and football-operations boss Micheal Luck are reportedly undertaking succession planning as the Cowboys prepare for 22 players to come off-contract over the next 18 months.
The Cowboys, who have not featured in finals for three-straight seasons, currently sit winless in 15th position on the ladder.
Luck toldย The Daily Telegraphย that the club is forensically analysing its squad and preparing for the future.
โI wonโt go into names but we have a responsibility to put together a good squad,โ he said.
โWe have some good young guys coming through and a few rookies coming through are potentially development-list players.
โOur job on top of that is to put an NRL roster together that can help our talented young guys.
โWe need to do what this club is built for and thatโs to give young players from north Queensland a chance to play NRL, but we also need to be ultra competitive until those guys come though.
โWeโre looking at our options at the moment.โ
It comes as Michael Morgan's medical retirement creates a $1 million void in North Queensland's salary cap.
The Cowboys have already been linked to Rabbitoh Adam Reynolds, Panther Kurt Capewell and Bronco Tom Dearden.
