The North Queensland Cowboys have confirmed Reece Robson will depart the club at the end of the 2025 NRL season, with the Sydney Roosters snaring his signature.
It has been widely reported that Robson was being pursued by the Sydney Roosters, who have cash to burn and are looking to move on New Zealand international Brandon Smith after he failed to live up to his promise thus far at Bondi.
The Roosters have now confirmed that news, with the club confirming a four-year deal has been locked down.
It will see Robson shift to Bondi from the start of 2026 until at least the end of 2029.
โWe're pleased to have secured Reece's signature and look forward to welcoming him to the Roosters in 2026,โ said Roosters Head of Recruitment, Daniel Anderson in a statement.
The New South Wales State of Origin hooker was being desperately pursued by the Cowboys, however, salary cap constraints in Townsville limited their ability to make a big money offer for the star rake.
Cowboys director of football Michael Luck said the club had offered Robson their best possible deal.
โWe tabled our best possible offer, but unfortunately were not able to compete with the final offer Reece received,โ Luck said in a club statement.
โReece now has a young family and we respect his decision.
โHe will continue to be an important member of our squad for 2025 and we look forward to his contributions in his final season at the club.โ
Coach Todd Payten had admitted earlier this week that he was unsure whether Robson was going to remain with the Cowboys beyond the end of 2025, who already have big long-term contracts locked in for the likes of Scott Drinkwater, Tom Dearden, Jeremiah Nanai and Jason Taumalolo.
"Whichever way it goes, I'm unsure at the moment - but I know he has openly said that he enjoys Townsville and wants to be here for a while," Payten had said.
"We'll see how that plays out, but if he decides to go we need to be pragmatic about what we do and how we handle it ... but that's further down the line."
Robson has played 110 games for the Cowboys since his club debut in 2020, having previously played 9 games for the St George Illawarra Dragons over the previous two years.
This will hurt us, but plenty of talent at the pride, blackhawks and cutters. I’d like to see a qld hooker though. We have had some brilliant hookers and need a solid pick. Reliable like Robson, fearless like Granville and the heart of Grant. Step up young qcuppers!!! Can’t wait to see Paytons’ decision.