Dearden endorses Payten to be re-signed as Cowboys coach

North Queensland captain Tom Dearden has endorsed Todd Payten to remain as Cowboys coach as the club debate whether to extend his contract.

Payten is off-contract at the end of the season with Cowboys management still debating whether he is the right coach to continue the young side.

In recent days, the 47-year-old met with the Cowboys board as he continues to fight for more time, with Payten insisting he is the right man to deliver a premiership to the Cowboys.

And his side’s form this season is backing up that belief with the Cowboys sitting in sixth having won eighth of their last ten games, while young players like Tom Chester, Jaxon Purdue, and Heilum Luki are in career-best form.

Payten was the man to bring Tom Dearden to the Cowboys when he was a young embattled halfback at the Brisbane Broncos, and now the 25-year-old captain is eager to see Payten stick around.

“Toddy (Payten) was the coach that brought me up here to the club, and I thought the faith and the belief that he showed in me at the start of my journey coming up here, he's been a big influence on my career and my journey in the NRL,” Dearden told Channel 7’s The Agenda Setters.

“I think he's a great coach, and I know over the years we've had a few inconsistent performances, but I just think he's got so much belief and passion for the club and about this group.

“I'm in full support of him extending his time up here at the Cowboys.”

Dearden is currently out injured with a syndesmosis injury he suffered against the Eels in Round 10.

The injury was likely to rule Dearden out of the entire 2026 State of Origin series, however, last year’s Wally Lewis medallist is hoping to return to the field within the next month, which would be in time for a surprise Origin III return.

“I think it's (a return) just as early as I can so it's actually tracking pretty well at the moment and the ankle's feeling pretty good.

“Hopefully it's only another three or four weeks away. That's what I'm hoping for anyway.”

After starting the season with back-to-back losses, pressure was mounting on Payten, but since Round 3, the Cowboys have hit their straps and refused to look back.

However, when it comes to identifying what’s changed at the Cowboys, Dearden believes the change in form is simply down to his side banding together.

“There hasn't been too much of a change,” Dearden said.

“I thought we did a really good job of showing a lot of trust and belief in the work that we did in the preseason, and no, the first two games of the season we got completely wrong and we just missed our game.

“But I thought the way we just rallied together… I know our attack's been the talking point and we've had a lot of wins that have been shootouts, but I thought the last two weeks, just the little effort areas and how hard we've worked for each other defensively has been the most pleasing thing.

“I think that's what set up the win the last couple of weeks, and you know how important those little moments are leading into the back end of the year.

“I think it's been one of those seasons where each week we've been striving to get better and the group's really hungry at the moment and they're training hard and working so hard to get better.”