Kyle Feldt and Jake Granville prepare for final game on North Queensland soil

While one Cowboy is hanging up the boots, another is preparing to step onto foreign ground. See why Feldt is feeling bittersweet about wrapping up his Cowboys career alongside Granville.

Jake Granville and Kyle Feldt will be commemorating their final home game with the North Queensland Cowboys with a lap of honour. Picture: Shae Beplate.

As his last home game on North Queensland soil inches closer, Kyle Feldt says his decision to leave has started to sink in after years of believing he’d be with his home club forever.

Feldt’s announcement on Monday that he wouldn’t be making his return to the Cowboys next year after a successful 12 seasons was book-ended with news from St Helen’s RFC in England he’d be joining them in 2025.

“I never thought that I’d leave the Cowboys. I always wanted to be a one club man and finish out my career here,” Feldt said.

“When you get older and obviously you have kids, you have different ideas and aspirations.

“I just think I’m at the right stage of my life where I’m playing some good footy still, and we’ve got the great opportunity to head over to St Helens for two years.

“Why not do it and give my kids a little bit of travel under their belt.”

Kyle Feldt and Jake Granville will be commemorating their final home game with the North Queensland Cowboys with a lap of honour. Picture: Shae Beplate.

The star winger said it would be a bittersweet feeling to finish Thursday night’s game alongside Jake Granville who will also be celebrating his last regular season game.

“I’ve been very fortunate enough to do my whole NRL career at the Cowboys, and I’ve seen a lot of players come and go,” Feldt said.

“I think I’ve been very fortunate enough to be around for such a long time and be a one club man, it’s been something that’s finally started to sink in ever since I’ve announced that I’m leaving.”

“I’m assuming that it will be a very emotional time ahead and so I’m a bit worried about how it’s going to go down, and I’m not one to cry, but no doubt, I think I will shed a few tears.”

Feldt, his wife Deanna and two children Marlo and Macie are planning to move to England in late November.

“It’s going to be very difficult. It’s always cold and wet over there and being us North Queenslanders we like wet, but we don’t like cold,” Feldt said.

“It’s going to be a big change and like I said, I want to be out of my comfort zone, and I think that’s the right place for me to do it.”

“I definitely know that we’ll grow as a family, and it’ll definitely test our grit over there, and the weather and that, but no doubt we’ll have fun and enjoy it.”

Granville won’t be playing in his final match after receiving surgery for a pectoral injury that ended his season earlier in August against the Tigers.

The key Cowboys utility will be instead commemorating his impressive career ahead of the match against Melbourne Storm with a lap of honour at 7.25pm before kick-off at 7.50.

Granville’s friends and family will make the trip up from Rockhampton and Yeppoon for the milestone event.

Feldt will do a lap of honour at the end of the game.

Originally published as Kyle Feldt and Jake Granville prepare for final game on North Queensland soil