North Queensland Cowboys captain Tom Dearden is set to emphatically end months of speculation and publicly re-commit to the club.
Rumours had swirled throughout the season that the 25-year old was considering requesting an early release from his $4 million contract, which runs until the end of 2029.
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But the star playmaker will front a press conference on Monday to confirm he will stay in Townsville, according to CODE Sports.
The move comes as blessed relief for the Cowboys, who are reeling from a historic 82-12 loss to the Sydney Roosters on Thursday night.
Dearden missed the match, which coach Todd Payten labelled “our darkest day”, with a leg injury.
Both the club and Dearden’s camp have remained adamant that he would remain a Cowboy, despite persistent rumours.
CODE Sports reporter Brent Read told NRL 360 on Wednesday that personal reasons were behind reports of a move to Sydney.
“Tommy’s got a partner who lives in Sydney. She’s now pregnant,” Read said.
“She’s from and lives in Sydney, but I believe she’s moving up there now since she’s pregnant and there’s been some talk that there’s been some interest in Tommy leaving the Cowboys.
“The Cowboys have denied this several times. There were rumours that his management met the club to talk about potentially leaving if his partner can’t settle into Townsville.”
Dearden’s partner, Millie Olliver, is due to give birth with the couple’s first child later this year.
She has stayed in Sydney throughout the season, where she runs a hair salon business, but is expected to move to Townsville to reunite with the 25-year old later this year.
Tom Dearden. Picture: NRL PhotosSource: Supplied
According to CODE Sports, Dearden is motivated by a desire to repay the Cowboys and Payten, who recruited him despite his career stalling at the struggling Brisbane Broncos in mid-2021.
The star five-eighth claimed the Wally Lewis Medal in Queensland’s come-from-behind win in the 2025 State of Origin series after replacing Daly Cherry-Evans in the No.7.
He made his Test debut for Australia in 2024 shortly after being crowned Dally M five-eighth of the year, and was named Player of the Match against Tonga in that year’s Pacific Championships.
He quickly became the face of the Cowboys after moving from the Broncos.
In an interview with News Corp in July, he declared his desire to lead the club to a second premiership.
“When you look back at 2015 and see what that first premiership meant to the community, you understand how much success means to this region,” he said.
“I would love to win a premiership for the people of North Queensland.”