Manly Sea Eagles utility Karl Lawton has confirmed he will join the North Queensland Cowboys from the start of the 2025 NRL season.
Signing a two-year deal with the club, the second-rower and dummy half will join the Cowboys until at least the end of 2026 where it's likely he could become the bench utility replacement for Jake Granville, who is likely to retire at the end of the season.
As it stands, there is also plenty of talk fringe first-grader Jack Gosiewski will leave the Cowboys and head to the Brisbane Broncos, putting a dent in a position they are otherwise very strong in, with the likes of Jeremiah Nanai, Heilum Luki (currently injured) and Kulikefu Finefeuiaki featuring regularly on the edge.
Lawton will also provide back up for Reece Robson, who has quickly become one of the game's best hookers and is a likely feature for the New South Wales Blues in this year's State of Origin series.
The 28-year-old Lawton, who has played 87 NRL games, can also feature in the middle third, and the club's head of football Michael Luck said his signing was an important one.
“We're thrilled to be able to secure a player of Karl's experience for 2025 and beyond,” Luck said in a club statement confirming the news of Lawton's signing.
“He brings all the attributes Todd loves as a coach – competitiveness, fitness, skill and versatility.
“We are blessed to have a world-class hooker in Reece Robson and a number of talented dummy halves coming through our junior system and we believe Karl will be both a wonderful support for Reece and mentor to our emerging players.”
Lawton will link up with the Cowboys at the start of pre-season training in November.
