North Queensland Cowboys winger Kyle Feldt will leave the club at the end of the 2024 NRL season in a surprise call.
The club's all-time leading try scorer who has played 213 games over 12 seasons for the Cowboys is a local junior, and one of only two members of the 2015 premiership players still at the club.
The other is Jake Granville, who will also hit the exit gates at the end of 2024.
Just the tenth player in Cowboys' history to have notched 200 games, he is also part of an exclusive group of life members for the club.
The move comes as something of a surprise, with Feldt telling Zero Tackle less than a month ago that he wanted to remain at the club heading into 2025, and that he was in 'career-best' form.
The 32-year-old admitted it wasn't an easy decision to make.
โThis hasn't been an easy decision to make, but I feel the time is right,โ Feldt said in a statement confirming the news.
โI have been very fortunate to live out my childhood dream to play NRL for my hometown team for 11 years.
โThe club has given me the opportunity to stay home where many other professional athletes have had to move away from their family.
โI've made some amazing memories and lifelong friends.โ
The Cowboys statement assumes that the winger will aim to complete his career elsewhere, potentially in the English Super League, with no mention of retirement.
The Cowboys are encouraging fans to hang around post-game after the club's final home game of the season this weekend against the Melbourne Storm where Feldt will complete a lap of honour.
Granville will complete his lap of honour before kick-off.
The club's general manager of rugby league, Michael Luck, said Feldt was a testament to the reason the Cowboys were created.
โThis club was formed so North Queenslanders could stay at home to play rugby league at the highest level and Kyle Feldt encapsulates that vision,โ Luck said.
โHe came through our junior systems, became one of the major contributors in our first premiership and finishes as a Life Member and the club's greatest ever try-scorer.
โWe wish Kyle, Deanna and their young family the best of luck for their next adventure.โ
