He was one of the rare bright spots for the Cowboys this season but North Queensland will face a battle to keep young star Jaxon Purdue in Townsville.
Purdue is set to hit free agency on November 1 and it’s likely that several clubs will be interested in talking with the 20-year-old.
At this stage, the Cowboys are favoured to re-sign the young gun.
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“This talk about November 1 is magnified. It doesn’t mean he’s leaving. “I’m sure the Cowboys will show enough interest to ensure he stays there,” Purdue’s agent Sam Ayoub told Code Sports.
“We’re not going to dramatise things or play the media. It’s a matter we’ll deal with at the appropriate time.
“We like to ensure that players remain loyal to their incumbent clubs in most cases.”
Purdue featured predominantly in the centres in 2025 and while his best form came at that position, he has also played five-eighth and fullback in the past as well.
According to Ayoub, whatever position the Cowboys have in mind for his client going forward, won’t play a part in their decision.
“He wants to play wherever the coach plays him. He’s played fullback, centres, in the halves… He’s potentially an outstanding fullback,” Ayoub said.
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COMEBACK TWIST AS DRAGONS HERO TO SIGN WITH RIVAL
After making one of the most incredible comebacks in league history, Cody Ramsey is set to defect from the Dragons and join their Anzac Day rivals the Roosters.
St George Illawarra confirmed on Monday evening Ramsey would not return in 2026, with the Daily Telegraph reporting he will sign with Sydney.
Ramsey returned to the game after 896 days on the sidelines, with his entire large bowel needing to be removed due to an ulcerative colitis diagnosis.
He featured in the NSW Cup Grand Final and the Dragons had been keen to stick by him, as they had through his medical saga, by offering a development contract for 2026 with amount-of-game clauses to earn a 2027 NRL deal.
But the Roosters want Ramsey to be the bridge between James Tedesco and 18-year-old Rex Bassingthwaighte, who is set to move onto their top-30 roster in 2027.
“We would like to sincerely thank Cody for his many contributions to the club throughout his time here,” Dragons CEO Tim Watsford said.
“His journey inspired us all. He is held in very high esteem here and we were proud to stand by him as he battled to return from his illness. He is a very impressive young man, and although the club worked through many options for Cody to remain in the Red V, it ultimately wasn’t to be, and we wish him and his family every success going forward.”
Meanwhile in a huge show of faith for incoming coach Josh Hannay, Titans skipper Tino Fa’asuamaleaui won’t test the open market in three weeks’ time.
Fa’asuamaleaui signed a rich ten-year deal in 2023 but as it was littered with get-out clauses, the Titans skipper could have become a free agent from November 1 and negotiated with rivals, including a cashed-up expansion club (Bears).
However, after meeting with Hannay, Fa’asuamaleaui is giving the Titans the chance to show signs of improvement under the new coach according to The Courier Mail.
“It’s a smart decision by Tino to allow that time for Josh to see how the club evolves and keep that connection going,” incoming Titans director of football Scott Sattler said.
“I’d like to think we can keep him, but it has to be based on our vision moving forward.
“Tino knows where we want to take the club.”
Fa’asuamaleaui’s call is a huge boost to a Titans club undergoing a facelift.
Hannay has replaced Des Hasler, Scott Sattler steps in as the new director of football while a couple of players in Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Alofiana Khan-Pereira have departed the club in recent weeks.
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MANLY STAR ALLOWED TO TEST FREE AGENCY
Manly will allow centre Reuben Garrick to reach the November 1 free agency deadline without a new extension after talks between the two parties fell through.
According to Code Sports, Manly offered Garrick a two-year extension worth upwards of $1 million. That would have kept him at the club until the end of 2028.
However, Garrick and the Sea Eagles couldn’t come to an agreement for now, meaning Manly are in a fight to keep him as Garrick will be free to negotiate with rival clubs in three weeks time.
Meanwhile, the club are keen to meet with Tom Trbojevic next week to iron out their issues.
The star fullback’s management hasn’t been happy with the way the club have handled the contract negotiations in recent weeks.
It was reported the Sea Eagles tabled an offer to Trbojevic that wasn’t ratified by the board before counter-offering a figure worth $300,000 less.
Trbojevic is one of the highest-paid players in the NRL but his current deal with Manly ends after the 2026 season, meaning he’ll also become a free agent on November 1 if no extension is signed by then.
There has been rumblings he could head over the UK Super League, but it’s expected the two sides will soon come to terms on a new deal.
PENRITH TRIO TO SHAKE UP FREE AGENCY
The Panthers are in danger of losing three star forwards with Kangaroos prop Lindsay Smith, veteran Scott Sorensen and young gun Liam Henry to test their value on the open market.
The Daily Telegraph reported the Penrith trio will test their value after the November 1 deadline due to a Panthers salary cap squeeze.
Penrith have lost a steady stream of one or two players at least each season on their run of four straight premierships and they could be about to lose some more after their preliminary final exit in 2025.
Last year Penrith lost James Fisher-Harris to the Warriors and Jarome Luai to the Tigers, which proved too tough to overcome in their bid for a fifth straight title.
However, their forward pack now faces being gutted if they lose two or more of Smith, Sorensen and Henry on the open market.
The trio are signed for 2026, but are free to negotiate with rivals from November 1 for 2027 and beyond and the introduction of the Perth Bears, who need to fill 30 roster spots should worry the Panthers and plenty of other NRL clubs.
The Bears need players and are tipped for a spending spree in the lead-up to Christmas, with 10 players in their sights including Warriors halfback Luke Metcalf and Titans counterpart Jayden Campbell, who are high on their hit list.
However, if they take a leaf out of the Dolphins’ book, who raided the Storm for forwards, the Panthers trio would be a great place to start to build the Bears’ pack from scratch.
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The Dolphins signed the Bromwich brothers and Felise Kaufusi from the Storm to be the veteran leaders that they needed to hit the ground running in their inaugural season in 2023.
Smith and Henry are hardly veterans, but along with Sorensen they have a winning mentality and could earn much more than the Panthers have to offer at this stage.
The Panthers’ salary cap issues are a major concern as Ivan Cleary scrambles to keep his dynasty squad together.
It’s understood Sorensen is the most likely of the trio to join the Bears, given he is coming to the end of his career and will be 33 by the time his Panthers deal ends.
His versatility and ability to play in the middle and on the edge, as well as his hard-nosed defensive approach, could make him a priority target for the Bears, who need veteran leaders to build their team into winners from day one.
Sorensen could also entertain offers from the Super League, but the Bears could offer more money for him to stay in Australia, albeit on the West Coast.
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Henry is also very likely to leave given his improvement as a bench player this season and the fact the Panthers don’t have enough money to offer him an upgrade he richly deserves.
Smith has an offer on the table from the Panthers, but his stocks could rise further with a starring role on the Kangaroos’ Ashes Tour that kicks off this month.
There will be no shortage of clubs lining up for the trio’s services and the Panthers will do well to keep Smith let a lone all three beyond 2026.
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