The North Queensland Cowboys might have been a finals team in the 2024 NRL season, but there is plenty of work to do on the recruitment and retention front in Townsville if they are going to stay there in the years to come.
It was a shaky season at times for the Cowboys, although it always looked worse than it was due to the late timing of their byes and a long run of home games at the back-end of the season.
Even then though, they only really snuck into the finals, and should have been far more dominant before bombing out in Sydney against the Cronulla Sharks during Week 2.
Off the field, things look on one foot in a good state for the Cowboys - a number of their key players are locked up long-term - but they have plenty of work to do in other areas as the squad gets ready for a refresh, with a number of older players arriving at, or reaching in the next few years, the end of their careers.
We will run the rule over all 17 clubs on Zero Tackle in the lead up to November 1 to determine who their top targets are. Today, the Cowboys.
Current 2026 North Queensland Cowboys squad
Reuben Cotter, Tom Dearden, Scott Drinkwater, Coen Hess, Karl Lawton, Heilum Luki, Sam McIntyre, Thomas Mikaele, Jeremiah Nanai, Griffin Neame, Kai O'Donnell, Murray Taulagi, Jason Taumalolo, Mason Kira
Off-contract at end of 2025
Braidon Burns, Tom Chester, Jake Clifford, Robert Derby, Tom Duffy, Harrison Edwards (club option), Zac Laybutt, D'Jazirhae Pua'Avase, Reece Robson, Vilami Vailea, Semi Valemei
Current best 17 for 2026
1. Scott Drinkwater
2. Murray Taulagi
3. No player signed
4. No player signed
5. No player signed
6. Tom Dearden
7. No player signed
8. Reuben Cotter
9. Karl Lawton
10. Coen Hess
11. Heilum Luki
12. Jeremiah Nanai
13. Jason Taumalolo
Interchange
14. Sam McIntyre
15. Thomas Mikaele
16. Griffin Neame
17. Kai O'Donnell
The only obvious thing here is that the Cowboys have a lot of work to do in their backline, and a fair bit of work still to do when it comes to depth options in their forward pack.
As is always the case for the Cowboys, there will be plenty of internal promotions of their youth progressing from all around North Queensland, but those players aren't going to be in a position to deliver instant success.
And as it stands, this is not a squad who are going to be in the mix to do that either.
They will likely re-sign Reece Robson in the interim to solve any issues around a starting dummy half, while they will be hoping to lock up Tom Chester and Zac Laybutt to lock up some of their young outside backs.
Jake Clifford is maybe the other big question. His form at the back-end of the 2024 season was strong, but whether he is a player who can deliver a premiership in the halves is another question all together.
What is clear is that with so many spots in their Top 30 still available, money won't be the key problem here for North Queensland at this stage at least, even with some of the contracts locked away on big dollars.
Outside back replenishment is the key recruitment need for the Cowboys here. They need players who are going to add plenty in 2026, and it's clear they aren't sold on their current crop given the number of players who are heading to November 1 without a deal locked in.
Will Penisini has quickly established himself as one of the best centres in the competition at the Eels over the last two years, and it's undoubted that there will be plenty of clubs in pursuit as he tests his worth.
That, despite the fact he has a player option available heading into 2026.
If he doesn't take it, the Cowboys should be knocking on his door and looking to bring him to Townsville where he would walk into the starting side.
If it's not Penisini, then Selwyn Cobbo must be a priority for the Cowboys, even if they did publicly discuss the matter and indicate he isn't the first player they'll be chasing.
It's clear at the Brisbane Broncos that there are salary cap issues.
The longer things go, the more it looks like Cobbo is going to be the odd man out too, with all reports suggesting the club will instead focus their effort and money on Reece Walsh at fullback, and Kotoni Staggs in the centres.
They simply can't afford to upgrade all three.
That means Cobbo will be looking for a new club, and if he doesn't want to leave Queensland, the Cowboys could be a great fit all round for both parties.
The scramble for Jonah Pezet is going to be something fierce in the coming months.
He might wind up staying in Melbourne, but there is no guarantee of that if other clubs come knocking, and the Cowboys should be one of them.
They are one of the clubs who can offer him a starting spot at six or seven immediately, pending on which jersey Tom Dearden winds up wearing in the long-term.
Pezet can play both positions, and will do more for the Cowboys than he has for the Storm.
It's a win-win for all parties unless you're the club from Victoria.
If the Cowboys are looking for a cheap utility type option who has shown a willingness to get the job done no matter where he runs onto the park, then Daine Laurie might be the man.
He has probably played his best football at fullback, but if you shuffle Scott Drinkwater to five-eighth as part of the new set up moving forward, that takes care of that issue.
Laurie has also slot in for the Panthers in the outside backs over his time at the foot of the mountains, and would do a superb job for the Cowboys across a number of options.
A cheap, risk-free option with lots of upside. You'd be hard pressed to say no if you're the Cowboys in the current situation.
We are going to assume the Cowboys will find a way to get Reece Robson's re-signing over the line.
In fact, the only way it doesn't happen in our view is if he decides he wants to come back to Sydney.
But should he remain with the Cowboys, there is still the need to find a back-up option in Townsville. Karl Lawton will bring strong utility value to the club at second-row and dummy half, but isn't an out and out back up hooker if there are injury issues for Robson.
Ordinarily, you'd suggest Blake Mozer would be the player to chase, but being realistic, he isn't going to go somewhere he won't start, so just maybe young Queenslander Harrison Graham from the Dolphins is the way to go.