King in the north: Cowboys to table Payten long-term extension

Cowboys brass have made the call on Todd Payten, with The Sporting Base hearing the North Queensland coach will soon be offered a long-term NRL extension that will simultaneously show faith in his plans and ward off circling suitors.

The first extension offer is expected to land on Payten’s Townsville desk early next week.

The 43-year-old, still in just his third year of coaching, has seemingly turned the Cowboys ship around completely in 2022. The northern outfit dipped into the doldrums following an unlikely run to the grand final in 2017 and—for a time, at least—struggled to find their footing in the few NRL seasons after club legend Johnathan Thurston’s exit from the game.

In 2022, so far, North Queensland sits third with nine wins and just four losses to their name. The resurgence has come via Payten’s faith in several explosive juniors, a “defensive belief” throughout the team, and the still-green coach’s in-game tactics and plans.

It’s a sharp turnaround the Cowboys powerbrokers feel deserves a reward.

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While things are still in very early stages, Payten and the club will begin discussions next week. The Sporting Base understands the Cowboys bosses want to tie Payten up for three more years.

The move from the Cowboys comes amid claims from Fox Sports that Payten is target number one for the now-coachless Tigers, who sacked long-term helmsman Michael Maguire earlier this week. Payten is still under contract with North Queensland until at least the end of 2023.

That same report tips Cameron Ciraldo as another big target for the Tigers hot seat.

In-demand Payten played 151 games for Wests between 2004 and 2011 and even scored the last try of the game in the club’s 2005 premiership victory. The Sporting Base suspects this may be what is leading some to link the Parramatta-born coach to the orange-and-blacks again. It is unlikely the Cowboys would even consider releasing him early though.

Both Payten and the North Queensland Cowboys have yet to publicly comment on either report—a stance that likely won’t change as the two parties come together to begin talking figures, dates, and plans for the 43-year-old’s planned extension.

The Cowboys face the ninth-placed Dragons tonight.

Related: Free — Cowboys vs Dragons round 14 preview: our picks

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