Injury-ravaged Cowboys sign NRL outside back to bolster squad

The Cowboys have signed an outside back to join the club immediately on a deal that will keep him in North Queensland until the end of the 2025 season.

Braidon Burns scores a try for South Sydney during the 2024 NRL Pre-Season Challenge. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

The Cowboys have agreed to terms with former Rabbitohs and Bulldogs player Braidon Burns on a deal that will see him join the club immediately through until the end of the 2025 season.

The club will make its official announcement on Monday morning.

North Queensland has been searching for an outside back to reinforce its injury-depleted backline stocks and 27-year-old Burns was high on the club’s hit list.

The Dubbo product from the Great Western Plains of New South Wales has made 62 NRL appearances over an injury-hit career, only playing more than 10 games twice in his seven seasons of first grade.

Burns has spent the first half of 2024 with South Sydney on a part-time contract that has him playing in the NSW Cup, where he has scored two tries in five game at both centre and wing.

Burns has spent the first half of 2024 with South Sydney on a part-time contract that has him playing in the NSW Cup, where he has scored two tries in five game at both centre and wing. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)

His Queensland Cup allocation to the Northern Pride or Mackay Cutters will be determined once he begins training in Townsville.

At the end of round 9, the Cowboys were carrying backline injuries to Zac Laybutt (ACL, season), Tom Chester (hamstring, 3-5 weeks), Murray Taulagi (hamstring, 0-1 weeks), Chad Townsend (knee, undisclosed) and Rob Derby (rotator cuff, 8-10 weeks).

While one South Sydney player makes the trip north to Townsville, a former Cowboy – Townsville Blackhawk Gehamat Shibasaki – is joining the Rabbitohs on a week-to-week basis to help with their own personnel issues.

Originally published as Injury-ravaged Cowboys sign NRL outside back to bolster squad