Star exits present north Queensland Cowboys golden opportunity to revitalise backline
The departure of high-profile Cowboys Valentine Holmes, Chad Townsend and Kyle Feldt gives North Queensland a unique opportunity to revitalise each edge. Find out who’s in line to step up.
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The departure of high-profile Cowboys Valentine Holmes, Chad Townsend and Kyle Feldt gives North Queensland a unique opportunity to revitalise each edge with fresh talent.
While the club has a plethora of gifted depth at centre, it is not clear who will become heir to Feldt’s throne on the right wing.
Queensland Cup standouts Rob Derby and Semi Valemei are both options while former Bulldog Braidon Burns proved he was still capable of holding his own in first grade after scoring five tries in his four NRL appearances this year.
Derby, 22, made a big splash for the Northern Pride when he made his return from injury, scoring seven tries in eight games while averaging more than five tackle busts before he was sidelined with an ankle injury.
The 193cm winger’s recovery is going well and he is targeting a return with Papua New Guinea in the upcoming Pacific Championships.
This year’s international season could well be the testing grounds that determine which player will get the first crack at the coveted position on the Cowboys’ right wing.
A week 1 clash between the Kumuls and Fiji Bati could provide an opportunity for the two Cowboys prospects go head-to-head in four weeks’ time – if they are each selected for their country.
Who will start the year in each edge’s centre position is a bigger question mark.
When Holmes’ exit was announced in August, coach Todd Payten indicated he would look within the current squad for a replacement.
“He was looking to get a long-term deal done and we weren’t in a position to extend him out for what they were looking for,” Payten said.
“It gives us the ability to lock down our kids.
“In that centre position we’ve got a fair bit of depth; we’ve got Tommy Chester, Zac Laybutt, Viliami Vailea, Rob Derby, Braidon Burns, Semi Valemei – so there’s some options there for us.”
Rookie sensation Jaxon Purdue played his way into the NRL as a backline utility but is viewed by the Cowboys as a half of the future, while Queensland Maroons winger Murray Taulagi has also indicated he was interested in a move to centre.
Laybutt won the battle to replace Peta Hiku at the start of 2024, in part due to Vailea’s visa issues forcing him to miss a large chunk of the pre-season while he was stranded in New Zealand.
But since coming into the side, the 21-year-old Tongan – who is younger than both Laybutt and Chester and deserves some leeway as he develops his game – has demonstrated he has a bright future in the NRL and could be given first shot in 2025 as the incumbent.
Losing young gun Kulikefu Finefeuiaki to the Dolphins won’t drastically change the makeup of the squad with promising forwards Kai O’Donnell and Karl Lawton moving to North Queensland.
It’s going to be an interesting and highly competitive pre-season, to say the least.
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Originally published as Star exits present north Queensland Cowboys golden opportunity to revitalise backline
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