Tom Dearden’s incredible ironman record ahead of North Queensland Cowboys milestone

Cowboys co-captain Tom Dearden will bring up a remarkable milestone on Sunday, but it is another rarely spoken about statistic that proves his worth to North Queensland. Find out what makes the skipper so special.

Tom Dearden of the Cowboys runs the ball during the round 21 NRL match between Cowboys and Dragons at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, on July 25, 2025, in Townsville, Australia. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

Cowboys ironman Tom Dearden exemplifies North Queensland spirit.

The Townsville terrier will make his 100th appearance for the Cowboys on Sunday when he leads the team onto the field at Shark Park, and he has been nothing short of exceptional since making a mid-season move north in 2021.

Everyone knows how tough Dearden is, but his record in North Queensland has been remarkable.

Besides six games when he was in Maroons camp, the 24-year-old halfback has only once missed a game – and it wasn’t a result of being rested after State of Origin.

The only game Dearden was unable to take the field was round 24, 2022, when he was recovering from surgery to repair a ruptured testicle.

Tom Dearden of the Cowboys runs during the round 21 NRL match between Cowboys and Dragons at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, on July 25, 2025, in Townsville, Australia. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

An injury that would see most men bed-bound for weeks only kept tough-as-nails Dearden off the park for one week.

At the time, Todd Payten said his young half was willing to lop it off if it meant he could play finals for the first time in his career.

“Truth be told, when he met with the surgeon, the first thing he said was, ‘If I’m going to miss a month, I want you to chop it off’,” Payten said.

“That’s how much playing finals meant to him. I nearly fell off my chair when I got told that.”

Tom Dearden of the Cowboys scores a try during the round 21 NRL match between Cowboys and Dragons at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, on July 25, 2025, in Townsville, Australia. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

Now preparing to bring up his Cowboys century, Dearden is enjoying his best season yet, backing up his 2024 Paul Bowman Medal as North Queensland’s best player with the 2025 Wally Lewis Medal as player of the State of Origin series.

Pundits around the country have also started talking about Dearden as one of the Dally M frontrunners for the season.

Cowboys back Braidon Burns, who was speaking after signing a one-year extension with the club, said Dearden meant everything to the team.

“You look at someone like ‘Mud’ – Tom Dearden – he goes after every game and if we can get a bit of that about all of us, then we’re going to win more games than we lose,” Burns said.

“He means everything to the club. I think if you look at how he plays and what he’s doing and the impact he has on the club, it’s huge.

“Everyone sort of tries to jump on the back of what he does and how competitive he is. I think it’s something that we can all take out of his book.”

Tom Dearden of the Cowboys celebrates after scoring a try during the round 21 NRL match between Cowboys and Dragons at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, on July 25, 2025, in Townsville, Australia. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

Dearden has switched back to his more familiar right edge in recent weeks, scoring three tries in his last two games.

Right backrower John Bateman said it made his job easier having someone of Dearden’s calibre close by.

“What Tommy does on the field is very energetic, he really goes after the game,” Bateman said.

“The type of halfback who does that is really good for myself, because you can just focus on your job.”

The Cowboys play the Sharks on Sunday, August 3. Kick-off is at 4.05pm.

Originally published as Tom Dearden’s incredible ironman record ahead of North Queensland Cowboys milestone