2026 North Queensland Cowboys season

Last updated

2026 North Queensland Cowboys season
Team information
Coach Todd Payten
Captain
Stadium Queensland Country Bank Stadium
  2025

The 2026 North Queensland Cowboys season will be the 32nd in the club's history. Coached by Todd Payten and captained by Reuben Cotter and Tom Dearden, they will compete in the NRL's 2026 Telstra Premiership.

Contents

The club will play its first game in the United States in 2026 when they play their Round 1 fixture against the Newcastle Knights in Las Vegas. [1] [2] [3]

Season summary

Milestones

Squad

Top 30 squad – 2026 NRL seasonDevelopment listCoaching staff

Head coach

Assistant coaches


Legend:
  • (c) Captain(s)
  • (vc) Vice-captain(s)
  • Supplementary list [4]
  • Extended squad [5]
  • Train and trial [6]

Updated: 14 November 2025
Source(s): NQ Cowboys

Squad movement

Gains

PlayerSigned fromUntil end ofNotes
Ethan King Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Sydney Roosters
2027
[7]
Reed Mahoney Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury Bulldogs
2028
[8]
Ronald Philitoga Wynnum-Manly Colours.svg Wynnum Manly Seagulls
2026
[9]
Liam Sutton Wynnum-Manly Colours.svg Wynnum Manly Seagulls
2026

Losses

PlayerSigned toUntil end ofNotes
Marly Bitungane Broncoscolours.png London Broncos
2026
Tom Duffy Brisbane colours.svg Brisbane Broncos
2026
Nic Lenaz Townsville Blackhawks colours.png Townsville Blackhawks
2026
Jeremiah Mata'utia Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos
2026
Jordan McLean Retired
Reece Robson Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Sydney Roosters
2029
Jamal Shibasaki Brisbane colours.svg Brisbane Broncos
2026
Semi Valemei Castleford colours.svg Castleford Tigers
2027

Re-signings


Ladder


Fixtures

Pre-season

DateRoundOpponentVenueScoreTriesGoalsAttendance
Saturday, 7 FebruaryTrial 1 Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs Jubilee Oval
Friday, 13 FebruaryTrial 2 Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2020 colours.svg Penrith Panthers BB Print Stadium
Legend:   Win  Loss  Draw  Bye

Regular season

Matches

DateRoundOpponentVenueScoreTriesGoalsAttendance
Saturday, February 28Round 1 Newcastle colours.svg Newcastle Knights Allegiant Stadium
Saturday, 14 MarchRound 2 Wests Tigers colours.svg Wests Tigers Leichhardt Oval
Sunday, 22 MarchRound 3 Gold Coast Titans colours.svg Gold Coast Titans QCB Stadium
Saturday, 28 MarchRound 4 Melbourne colours.svg Melbourne Storm QCB Stadium
Saturday, 4 AprilRound 5 St. George colours.svg St George Illawarra Dragons Jubilee Oval
Friday, 10 AprilRound 6 Brisbane colours.svg Brisbane Broncos Suncorp Stadium
Thursday, 16 AprilRound 7 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly Warringah Sea Eagles QCB Stadium
Friday, 24 AprilRound 8 Cronulla colours.svg Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks QCB Stadium
Friday, 1 MayRound 9 Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs Accor Stadium
Friday, 8 MayRound 10 Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta Eels QCB Stadium
Sunday, 16 MayRound 11 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Sydney Roosters Suncorp Stadium
Sunday, 24 MayRound 12 South Sydney colours.svg South Sydney Rabbitohs QCB Stadium
Sunday, 31 MayRound 13 Canberra colours.svg Canberra Raiders GIO Stadium
Saturday, 6 JuneRound 14 Dolphins colours.png Dolphins QCB Stadium
Round 15 Bye
Sunday, 21 JuneRound 16 Auckland colours.svg New Zealand Warriors One NZ Stadium
Saturday, 27 JuneRound 17 Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2020 colours.svg Penrith Panthers QCB Stadium
Round 18 Bye
Sunday, 12 JulyRound 19 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 4 Pines Park
Sunday, 19 JulyRound 20 Dolphins colours.png Dolphins Suncorp Stadium
Saturday, 25 JulyRound 21 Brisbane colours.svg Brisbane Broncos QCB Stadium
Thursday, 30 JulyRound 22 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Sydney Roosters QCB Stadium
Thursday, 6 AugustRound 23 Gold Coast Titans colours.svg Gold Coast Titans Cbus Super Stadium
Saturday, 15 AugustRound 24 Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta Eels CommBank Stadium
Round 25 Bye
Saturday, 29 AugustRound 26 Wests Tigers colours.svg Wests Tigers QCB Stadium
Saturday, 5 SeptemberRound 27 Canberra colours.svg Canberra Raiders QCB Stadium
Legend:   Win  Loss  Draw  Bye

Statistics

Representatives

The following players played a representative match in 2026.

Honours

Feeder clubs

Queensland Cup

Women's team

References

  1. "The Cowboys are off to Las Vegas in 2026!". NQ Cowboys. 14 May 2025.
  2. "Rugby League in Las Vegas 2026". NRL.
  3. "Bulldogs, Cowboys, Knights and Dragons set for Las Vegas". ABC. 14 May 2025.
  4. Development players train with the Top 30 squad but cannot play NRL until after Round 10.
  5. Players in the extended squad train with the Top 30 squad but are on train and replacement or junior contracts.
  6. Train and trial players are not contracted to the club but train with them over the pre-season.
  7. "Roosters young gun confirms club switch for 2026". Zero Tackle. 21 August 2025.
  8. "Cowboys sign Mahoney". NQ Cowboys. 6 July 2025.
  9. "Cowboys announce six Dev List contracted players for 2026". NQ Cowboys. 29 October 2025.
  10. "Cowboys announce six Dev List contracted players for 2026". NQ Cowboys. 29 October 2025.
  11. "London Broncos set to land NRL duo on short-term deals as next steps outlined". Love Rugby League. 7 November 2025.
  12. "Broncos Sign Duffy For 2026". Brisbane Broncos. 20 August 2025.
  13. "Departed Cowboys hooker signs with new team for 2026". ZeroTackle. 27 October 2025.
  14. "Rhinos add towering forward for 2026". Leeds Rhinos. 11 November 2025.
  15. "McLean calls time". NQ Cowboys. 27 August 2025.
  16. "Reece Robson to join the Roosters in 2026". Sydney Roosters. 6 December 2024.
  17. "Cowboys to farewell seven departing players". NQ Cowboys. 3 September 2025.
  18. "Valemei Signs For Tigers On A Two Year Deal". Castleford Tigers. 2 September 2025.