North Queensland Toyota Cowboys Head Coach Todd Payten joined Triple M’s Elliott Lovejoy to discuss the three vacant jerseys heading into Round 1, which Cowboys’ legend new recruit Karl Lawton reminds him of and what he’s expecting from our co-captains this season.
With three regular 2024 starters departing, the race for the available right wing, left centre and halfback jerseys will heat up over the next three months.
“I’ve spoken openly about our halfback position being up for grabs,” Payten said.
“It’s a three-way shootout between some highly talented kids in Tom Duffy, Jaxon Purdue and Jake Clifford.
“What has been done in the past is irrelevant. It’s about what we do at training. The three things you need to get right to earn that spot for Round 1 is talk well, kick well and tackle well and you can build your game off that.”
“There is also a left centre spot up for grabs with Val going to the Dragons, with Zac Laybutt, Braidon Burns, Semi Valemei, Murray Taulagi, Tom Chester and Jaxson Paulo all able to play there.
After setting career highs in line breaks, tackles and running metres with the Sea Eagles in 2024, Lawton has joined the club on a two-year deal.
Having coached him at the Warriors in 2020, Payten spoke highly about the 29-year-old’s work ethic and versatility.
“This is a pretty big wrap, but he is a younger version of Jake Granville,” Payten said.
“He’s a really positive guy to have around the group. He is like the social glue of the group. He is always positive. He’s a tough kid. If he’s half as good for us as Jakey Granville was, we are in for a hell of a player.”
With 936 games of NRL experience departing at the end of last season, Payten has said he will lean more heavily on his co-captains in 2025.
“I am looking for our captains to really drive this group in the direction that they want them to go,” he said.
“I’ve seen Tommy and Reubs grow as footballers and as men over the past 12 months. I think their last six to eight weeks of the season, they really grabbed the team by the scruff of the neck.
“I want them to continue doing that with words, actions and expectations of everyone around them.”
