NRL 2021 contract news: Chad Townsend set to sign $2 million deal with Cowboys

The Cowboys believe they’ve got their man with only a final meeting standing in the way of Chad Townsend joining, while they’re also chasing an emerging Bronco.

Chad Townsend is poised to join the Cowboys next season. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty

The Cowboys believe they have got their man with Sharks veteran Chad Townsend verbally agreeing to a three-year, $2 million deal.

And the Broncos are under siege from their 2015 Grand Final nemesis after North Queensland ramped-up their poaching drive by tabling a $1 million-plus deal to Tom Dearden to partner Townsend at the Cowboys scrumbase next season.

News Corp understands the Cowboys have been advised Townsend is happy with the terms of their offer and expect Cronulla’s premiership halfback to formally sign in the next 24 hours.

Townsend is due to hold talks today with incoming Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon, who will need to deliver a compelling retention pitch to talk the 30-year-old out of a move to Townsville.

But North Queensland powerbrokers believe the deal is all but done and are preparing for a formal announcement in the coming days.

The Cowboys have been assessing a number of playmaking options including Wests Tigers’ Luke Brooks, Souths’ Adam Reynolds and even Aidan Sezer, the former Canberra Grand Final halfback who is currently off-contract at English club Huddersfield.

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The Cowboys believe Chad Townsend will agree to join the club. Picture: Getty

But North Queensland have identified the Townsend-Dearden alliance as the fusion of young and old that can resurrect the Cowboys as a finals force for 2022 and beyond.

Townsend has an option in his favour on his Cronulla contract for next year, while the Sharks have an option in their favour on the playmaker for the 2023 season.

With Cronulla battling salary-cap pressures as they look to retain off-contract duo Matt Moylan and Shaun Johnson, someone has to go in the Shire and it appears that man is Townsend.

Townsend is the only premiership halfback in Cronulla’s 54-year history, having steered the club to their drought-breaking defeat of Melbourne in the 2016 Grand Final.

The Cowboys view Townsend as their playmaking rudder at No. 7, while there is a belief Dearden could make a successful conversion from halfback to second receiver as the club plans for life after retired Michael Morgan and Newcastle-bound Jake Clifford.

Townsend is on $600,000 this season at Cronulla and the Cowboys have upped the ante financially in a bid to bring him to Townsville.

Will Tom Dearden stay at the Broncos? Picture: Getty

North Queensland’s imminent signing of Townsend puts a line through Reynolds, who has also been linked with the Broncos, but is understood to be leaning towards staying in Sydney for family reasons.

The Broncos, meanwhile, have a huge fight on their hands to retain Dearden.

The 20-year-old’s preference is to stay loyal to the Broncos but is concerned about the club’s commitment to him after more than 12 months of turbulence following their signing of Brodie Croft to play halfback.

Cowboys champion Johnathan Thurston is a huge fan of Dearden and the prospect of being mentored by the Queensland Origin legend is a major attraction.

Dearden met with Cowboys coach Todd Payten in February and has since received an offer from North Queensland chiefs worth more than $300,000 annually.

Townsend’s signing would end any chance of South Sydney’s Adam Reynolds heading to Townsville after Cowboys officials contacted Reynolds’ manager, Steve Gillis, to express a preliminary interest in the Rabbitohs halfback.

Adam Reynolds’ future remains uncertain. Picture: Brett Hemmings/Getty

But there is continuing speculation Brisbane may have a nibble at signing Reynolds.

The Broncos continue to struggle with their halves this season and have held internal discussions about Reynolds.

The Cowboys will lose Jake Clifford to Newcastle at the end of the season after the local junior opted for a move to the Knights.

Scott Drinkwater, who has shuffled between the halves and fullback roles this season, is also off contract at the end of this season.

Play could be a flurry of transfer activity involving halves, with Luke Brooks’ future at the West Tigers uncertain - despite having two years remaining on his deal - given they are set to sign Jackson Hastings.

There are a number of off-contract halves, including Parramatta’s Mitchell Moses, the Gold Coast’s Ashley Taylor, St George Illawarra’s Corey Norman and Canterbury’s Lachlan Lewis.

Originally published as NRL 2021 contract news: Chad Townsend set to sign $2 million deal with Cowboys