On the eve of his milestone 200th NRL appearance, Jake Granville has agreed to a one-year contract extension to remain with the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys in 2024.
It will signal a landmark 10th season in North Queensland for one of the ultimate clubmen in Cowboys history.
The contract extension almost assures Granville the opportunity to reach 200 Cowboys appearances, which triggers automatic life membership. The 34-year-old currently sits on 189 Cowboys games, on top of the 10 appearances for the Broncos to begin his career.
In nine seasons with North Queensland, Granville has played in two grand finals, including the Cowboys’ maiden premiership victory in 2015 – a game in which he provided two try assists.
After playing almost exclusively dummy-half early in his career, Granville has morphed into one of the NRL’s most valuable utility players in recent seasons. Since the start of 2021, Granville has started games at fullback, centre, prop, hooker and lock.
Granville celebrates his 200th NRL game at home against Parramatta on Saturday night in front of what is expected to be an enormous crowd at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
“We’re ecstatic Jake has decided to extend for another year,” Cowboys General Manager of Football Micheal Luck said.
“His output on the field this year playing primarily in a new position as a middle forward has been exceptional, but the fact he has taken it in his stride and excelled comes as no surprise to anyone inside our club.
“He sets standards in his preparation, the way he trains and how he recovers – he is the perfect example for our younger players to show what it takes to be a long-term NRL player.
“We’re thrilled to have Jake in our playing group for another year.”