NRL best 17s for 2025: North Queensland Cowboys

The North Queensland Cowboys come into the 2025 campaign with a point to prove after sneaking into the finals last year, but being little more than cannon fodder for the top teams during the knockout stages.

Todd Payten's side have been on the cusp of achieving something more in recent seasons, and while consistent enough to trouble most teams, there has been a gulf in class between his team and the top contenders, namely Penrith and Melbourne, but also the likes of the Roosters and Sharks.

But that doesn't mean there isn't a feeling the Cowboys should be achieving more, and with yet more signings to beef up their depth - and in some cases run on side - in 2025, there should be no excuses.

That is more so the case given they have sorted out their troubles of not being able to win away from home.

This could be a moving year for the Cowboys, and this is how we at Zero Tackle see them lining up throughout 2025.

Recruitment report

Ins: John Bateman (Wests Tigers, 2026), Karl Lawton (Manly Sea Eagles, 2026), Kai O'Donnell (Leigh Leopards, 2026), Jaxson Paulo (Manly Sea Eagles, 2026)

Outs: Kyle Feldt (St Helens Saints), Kulikefu Finefeuiaki (The Dolphins), Jack Gosiewski (Brisbane Broncos), Valentine Holmes (St George Illawarra Dragons), D'Jazirhae Pua'Avase (Manly Sea Eagles), Jamayne Taunoa-Brown (retired), Chad Townsend (Sydney Roosters)

Re-signed: Tom Chester (2025), Jake Clifford (2025), Reuben Cotter (2028), Tom Dearden (2029), Coen Hess (2027), Zac Laybutt (2025), Helium Luki (2029), Sam McIntyre (2026), Jordan McLean (2025), Thomas Mikaele (2027), Griffin Neame (2026), Semi Valemei (2025)

Off-contract at end of 2025: Braidon Burns, Tom Chester, Jake Clifford, Robert Derby, Tom Duffy, Zac Laybutt, Jordan McLean, Jamal Shibasaki, Viliami Vailea, Semi Valemei

Full squad

John Bateman, Braidon Burns, Tom Chester, Jake Clifford, Reuben Cotter, Tom Dearden, Robert Derby, Scott Drinkwater, Tom Duffy, Harrison Edwards, Coen Hess, Kaiden Lahrs, Karl Lawton, Zac Laybutt, Helium Luki, Sam McIntyre, Jordan McLean, Thomas Mikaele, Jeremiah Nanai, Griffin Neame, Kai O'Donnell, Jaxson Paulo, Jaxon Purdue, Reece Robson, Jamal Shibasaki, Murray Taulagi, Jason Taumalolo, Viliami Vailea, Semi Valemei

Supplementary contracts: Marly Bitungane, Zac Herdegen, Mason Kira, Wil Sullivan

Who plays where?

Fullback
The Cowboys have almost no question around who plays fullback. Scott Drinkwater has been a consistent presence at the top of major NRL awards in recent seasons, and if not for Dylan Edwards, likely would have made his State of Origin debut in 2024.

He will certainly start the season in number one, but the what if question certainly looms around a potential switch to five-eighth.

If things aren't working for the Cowboys, there is a world where he moves into the six, although that is far less likely now with Tom Chester out for the season after suffering an ACL injury.

The Cowboys depth at fullback looks skinny with that injury, and it may be a winger like Robert Derby shuffled to the back if there are issues.

Wingers
Queensland State of Origin player Murray Taulagi is the first picked on the wing, but there is some doubt around who will line up on the other side of the park.

We are going to give the spot for Semi Valemei given his power and ball-running helps address a few issues for the Townsville-based outfit, but Todd Payten isn't short of options when it comes to his wing options.

Backline utility Braidon Burns will be pushing hard for a more permanent run, Robert Derby will see himself as a first-grade option, and so too will Jaxson Paulo, who has made the shift up from the Manly Sea Eagles during the off-season to begin life at yet another new club.

Centres
Zac Laybutt was in the Cowboys' 17 last year until an ACL injury cruelly ruined his season in the early going.

He will be back on deck for the start of the 2025 campaign, and given the questions facing the Cowboys' outside backs in general, should walk straight back into the starting side.

We are going to hand the other centre spot to former New Zealand Warrior Viliami Vailea, but there is no guarantee there either.

Braidon Burns can line up in the centres as well as he can at wing, and Paulo has previous experience here too at previous clubs, so either of them could yet run out in the three-quarter line.

Halves
The only part of the halves question not up for dispute at the Cowboys is that Tom Dearden will be there somewhere, whether that be the number six or number seven.

We are going to slot him into the five-eighth role that he has handled so well in recent years, not just at club level, but at State of Origin level too.

He has all the tools to be one of the best in the competition, and given the challengers around him are all predominantly halfbacks, he probably stays at five-eighth this year, unless coach Payten elects to move Drinkwater into the halves at any point.

In the number seven, Jake Clifford likely has the inside running on the spot after finishing 2024 strongly.

Back in the NRL after time in the Super League, he put together the best form of his career in Australia to date when he was called into the side to replace the now departed Chad Townsend, who has joined the Roosters during the off-season.

Clifford is no guarantee though, with the likes of Jaxon Purdue and Tom Duffy both providing him plenty of competition for the spot.

The young guns have both made quality impressions as they have emerged at the Cowboys, and are banging down the door for permanent spots in Payten's side.

Middle forwards
It appears the only guaranteed starter in the middle for the Cowboys is Reuben Cotter, and even then, there is no certainty whether he plays prop or lock.

We have placed him at lock forward, where he has been a weapon for the Cowboys in recent seasons, playing big minutes and not putting a foot wrong.

That will likely shift veteran Jason Taumalolo to prop, although he could yet come off the bench for the Cowboys.

Taumalolo's prop partner should be Griffin Neame as he continues to build into his career throughout 2025.

The duo are under significant pressure for their starting spots though from the experienced duo of Jordan McLean and Coen Hess, as well as Sam McIntyre, Thomas Mikaele, Harrison Edwards, and Kaiden Lahrs, who is the son of former Origin player Tom Learoyd-Lahrs and has impressed at every level he has played to date.

Hooker
A much more simple spot to pick for the Cowboys comes at dummy half, with New South Wales State of Origin hooker Reece Robson a walk-up starter for Todd Payten's side.

He will be backed up by Karl Lawton. The utility moves north from the Manly Sea Eagles ahead of 2025, and should jump straight into the role formerly occupied by Jake Granville, who will ply his trade in England this year.

Depth is an issue for the Cowboys at number nine with no others in the squad.

Edge forwards
Helium Luki's ACL injury would have thrown a serious spanner in preparations for 2025 at the Cowboys, and still does, although it's offset by the arrival of English international John Bateman.

He has a major role to play throughout 2025, and has indicated he is done playing in the middle, as he did last year at the Tigers.

He wants to play 80 minutes on the edge, and needs to at the Cowboys, where he should start alongside Jeremiah Nanai, whose attack is among the best in the competition, even if his defence is not yet up to that level.

Lawton, Hess and Sam McIntyre, who we have already mentioned for other roles, provide depth on the edge, and so too does Kai O'Donnell, who makes the switch back from England. A host of youngsters in Jamal Shibasaki and development players, led by Marly Bitungane and Mason Kira, are also in the mix.

Interchange
The bench is easy to pick at the Cowboys once the starting 13 is picked, but there is no guarantee what we have discussed above is what runs out.

Any of Neame, Taumalolo or Bateman could yet feature off a bench that should include Karl Lawton as the utility, and three other forwards.

We are expecting, based on the 13 picked, for McLean, Hess and McIntyre to be the three players on the bench for coach Payten, but there will be plenty of competition for those forward pack spots from the likes of Harrison Edwards, Thomas Mikaele, Kai O'Donnell and Jamal Shibasaki.