Starring in the North Queensland Cowboys' first win of the season over the weekend by scoring a double against the Raiders, halfback Jake Clifford has been linked with a move to another team.
Moving back to the Cowboys last season after a one-year stint with Hull FC in the Super League, Clifford has made ten appearances since returning to North Queensland, with two coming in 2025.
Despite being overlooked in favour of Tom Duffy to begin the year, Clifford has featured in the last two NRL matches for the Cowboys and is coming off a great showing against the Raiders in which he scored two tries, provided two line-break assists and a try assist and made two tackle busts.
Off-contract at the end of the season, the halfback has attracted the interest of Leigh Leopards, who are working on a deal to bring him back to the Super League competition and even believe that they could secure his services before next year, per All Out Rugby League.
Per the publication, it is understood that the playmaker is keen on the move to return overseas but is awaiting to secure a Governing Body Endorsement
Not shutting down the links to Clifford, Leigh Leopards head coach Adrian Lam all but confirmed his interest in the Cowboys halfback but also admitted that the club are looking at several other players.
โThere are always names who are going to come up in the media in regards to this area and I'm ok with that because we are in a position to buy,โ Lam said.
โWe are excited about that but we don't want to be in a rush with it either.
"Jake Clifford is a quality player but we are looking at three or four different halves and a total of ten different players to get the best two or three out of that.
โThat will progress as we go through the season but overall I am happy with the squad.โ
