Tom Dearden arrived at the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys a little more than 12 months ago.
In that time he has endeared himself to fans, coaching staff and tonight he received the highest praise possible from his teammates – the 2022 Cowboys Players Player Award.
Dearden has enjoyed an incredible breakout season in 2022. The 21-year-old has registered 15 try assists and scored a further eight himself.
But his work without the ball is why Dearden is so highly regarded by his teammates. The Mackay Brothers junior has produced multiple spectacular try-saving efforts and has become renowned for his clean-up work.
Dearden has also shown an ability to play through pain, evidenced by his 60-plus minute effort with a ruptured testicle against the Warriors in Round 24 – an injury which he also returned from in one week.
