Dragons to make Drinkwater the NRL’s next $1M man if he joins next year

St George Illawarra are willing to pay Scott Drinkwater seven figures a season to play No.1 for them in their rebuilding period, with the joint venture this week tabling the Cowboys’ fullback a three-year contract from 2027.

Drinkwater’s career in North Queensland looks to be over, with the club telling the 28-year-old that he’s surplus to requirements. The grand plan, this Sporting Base writer understands, is to have Jaxon Purdue ⁠— just re-signed on big bucks ⁠— to swap to fullback.

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Perth, Canterbury, Cronulla, and Wests have all enquired about Drinkwater, too, but it’s always been the Dragons’ race to lose. Only Perth is willing to offer more money on paper.

“The Dragons tabled an offer to us [on Tuesday night], and we will try and organise a meeting next week,” Drinkwater’s agent, Gavin Orr, has since confirmed. “It’s a really good three-year offer from the Dragons, and we are looking at what that looks like for Scott.”

Orr confirmed they will “look at the offer seriously” ⁠— though any struck bargain will have to wait until next week. “We will continue talks next week. My attitude has always been that we talk business from Monday to Wednesday, and then after that, I let the player focus on his team and the game ahead,” he explained.

There is one sticking point for the unwanted Cowboy, though; the Dragons are a melting pot of question marks right now, including around head coach Shane Flanagan, and who’s playing in the halves.

“It’s going to be hard for a player to go to any club if they don’t know the coach, the halves and the forward structure,” Orr also pointed out. “I’d like to think Drinky will accept the Dragons’ deal. But he also has to know who his coach is, who’s the halfback, what’s the playing roster look like. These are all considerations for Scott.”

Drinkwater is still formally contracted to the Cowboys until the end of 2027, but has been told it’s quite fine if he leaves early. His No.1 jersey may be given to Purdue as soon as next season, this Sporting Base writer has heard.

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Also in North Queensland, Tom Chester has reportedly agreed to a Cowboys extension offer on Tuesday. “We kept Jaxon last week, and a player like Tom Chester is what our club has been set up for. A local junior who should never have to leave home to play in the NRL,” Cowboys Football CEO Micheal Luck told the Telegraph today.

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“We will work through the details with his manager and get something done that keeps him happy,” he added. “We have started talks, so we would love to keep Tom here.”