Junior coaches of Dearden, Cotter chart the pair’s ascendancy to Cowboys co-captaincy

Mackay’s connection with the Cowboys is now stronger than ever, and the new co-captains’ junior coaches reflect on their formative years and why they are so loved in the region.

Tom Dearden and Reuben Cotter of the Cowboys celebrates with teammates. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

Countless superlatives have been used to describe the exceptional showings of Reuben Cotter and Tom Dearden over the years.

But speak to any number of local coaches who dealt with either in their junior days, and you can bet the word ‘humble’ will be uttered long before any mention of their on-field dominance.

It’s why Mackay’s league figures are beaming with pride that two of the region’s very own have been unveiled as the North Queensland Cowboys co-captains ahead of the 2024 season.

They were the likeable stars of tomorrow who have gone on to affirm themselves as the loveable stars of today.

That they will share captaincy honours at the Cowboys is fitting for a number of reasons, but not least because neither player has forgotten the roots that moulded their ascendancy to the sport’s esteemed echelon.

Before moving to the Gold Coast, Dearden spent a decade developing his craft at Brothers Bulldogs, and former president Andrew Battaia remembers it as clear as day.

Tom Dearden of the Cowboys breaks away from the defence during the round 26 NRL match between Dolphins and North Queensland Cowboys. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

“The thing that stands out most, and still does, is just his nature, he’s humble,” Battaia said.

“A lot of kids his age that made the rep sides he did coming through would probably have a big head and inflated view of themselves.

“Tommy signed a contract with the Broncos and made the Australian Schoolboys, and the next week he was at our ground helping an under-6 team, that’s just the sort of person he was.”

While time may have allowed Dearden to develop into the player you see today, it couldn’t erode his connection with the club where his journey began.

Battaia recalls tales of Dearden messaging Bulldogs sides on grand final days, and popping into the ground whenever he’s in town.

Mick Ford, who was Reuben Cotter’s under-16 coach at his childhood club, Sarina, echoed a similar sentiment when asked about the prop following his Wally Lewis medal.

“He’s a great kid, great family, he’s had good people around him the whole time,” Ford said.

“The feedback you get from Facebook and that, talking to different people around town, everyone wants the best for him and wants him to succeed even more.”

Reuben Cotter playing for the Sarina U18s at 15 years of age. Picture: Daryl Wright.

Ford too recalls myriad instances of Cotter giving back to Sarina, be it sponsoring jerseys and gear for fundraising events or signing Sarina juniors shirts after games.

Cowboys elite pathways coach Steve Shepperd, who coached Cotter at the Cutters and had worked with him since he was a 13-year-old, knew he had a talent on his hands from the beginning.

“I sort of knew at 13, 14, that he was going to be an NRL player,” Sheppard said.

“You could just tell he had this want, desire, he was always very willing.

“He wasn’t the biggest bloke but he was very willing to put his head and shoulders in places where people aren’t supposed to put them.

“He’s got the biggest heart and just tries his little butt off every time he goes out there.”

Reuben Cotter of the Cowboys looks on during a North Queensland Cowboys NRL training session at Qld Country Bank Stadium. Picture: Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images

Similarly, Battaia recalls the work ethic of Dearden being second to none.

“His nature, his attitude, he never got ahead of himself and that’s why he’s made it, he never thought he was better than anyone else,” Battaia said.

“He was just a natural footballer, he’d see things in a game that other players wouldn’t.”

Battaia also revealed that Dearden’s leadership was evident from a young age.

A young Tom Dearden with a haul of trophies in his junior Brothers Bulldogs days. Picture: Supplied.

“Even back then he was a leader, you’d watch his team train when they had a captain’s run and he just steered them around.

“There was a semi-final, I think in the under-14s, it was a bit of a tight game that could go either way, Tommy just grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck.

“I remember he took the line on 20 metres from the tryline, threw a beautiful dummy and just stepped back inside, scored a nice try and then just brought the team home from there.”

Like many, Battaia couldn’t be prouder that the Mackay region’s first Cowboys captains have come in the form of Dearden and Cotter.

“It’s a similar message between the two of them. They’re both really good down to earth and humble kids, it’s the reason they’ve made it,” he said.

“That’s probably why they work harder than anyone else, because they don’t think they’re better than anyone else.”

Assuming both Dearden and Cotter take to the field in round one, 22-year-old Dearden will become North Queensland’s second-youngest captain, and Cotter the fourth-youngest at 25.

Their unveiling comes after North Queensland announced it would be reinvigorating its relationship with the Mackay Cutters heading into 2024 and beyond.