The North Queensland Cowboys are reportedly extremely confident of agreeing to a new deal with star playmaker Tom Dearden.
Set to hit the open market on November 1 and free to negotiate with rival clubs, the Cowboys will be aiming to secure his services for the future as soon as possible.
However, while Cowboys football chief Micheal Luck believes Dearden wants to remain in North Queensland, he could be tempted by offers from rival clubs that could see him earn more than what he is currently.
โHe knows we want to keep him, he wants to stay,โ Luck told News Corp.
โHopefully we'll get a deal worked through over the next few weeks.โ
While Luck remains confident Dearden will re-sign, News Corp understands that the five-eighths agent will take him to the open market on November 1, as he looks for a monumental new contract.
Reportedly valued at $650,000 per season over three years, Luck didn't comment on whether the club had the desire to increase their offer.
โWe will continue to engage with his agent in the coming weeks to sort Tom's future with our club sooner rather than later,โ Luck said.
Several news publications have previously reported that the Cowboys are reportedly tabling a $2 million extension for Dearden, which would tie him down to the club until the end of 2027. That comes out at almost $900,000 per season.
The five-eighth, who made his debut forย Billy Slater's Queenslandย Maroonsย State of Origin outfit last year, was a key part of North Queensland's surprise push to the preliminary finals last year, and he has been a large part of the resurgence inย Todd Payten's side this previous season.
His form has been outstanding in combination with halfbackย Chad Townsend, who himself was linked with a departure at the end of this year despite being contracted through next season with the Cowboys.
Luck would comment on the love that the Cowboys have for Dearden and explained the reason why he believes the 22-year-old wants to remain at Queensland Country Bank Stadium -ย a fact Dearden has stated in the past.
โWe love Tommy, we think he's done a really good job of growing his game and his leadership capacity under Todd (Payten's) tutelage,โ Luck added.
โHe knows how much he means to us as a club... heโs found his home with this group, he's got some close friends there.
โI think he's done a really good job under Todd's coaching and the style that Toddy manages him in is pretty good.
โWe're confident, we'll keep working through the agreement.โ
