The North Queensland Toyota Cowboys have promoted Young Guns products Matthew Watts and Mason Barber to the NRL squad for the 2026 season.

Watts and Barber join recruits Liam Sutton, Ethan King and Ronald Philitoga on Development List contracts for 2026.

A schoolboy teammate of Jaxon Purdue at St Patrick’s College Mackay, Watts joined the Cowboys Young Guns in 2024 and began 2025 in the program before spending the back half of the season training full-time with the NRL squad.

A towering front-rower, Watts has appeared in 19 Queensland Cup games for the Mackay Cutters across the previous two seasons, earning a starting role late in 2025.

>>> Matthew Watts highlights








A 2024 Australian Schoolboy, Barber arrived in North Queensland prior to the 2025 season after a stellar schoolboy career at Gold Coast powerhouse Keebra Park State High School.

An electric outside back, Barber didn’t play any football in 2025 after suffering a shoulder injury in the pre season.

>>> Mason Barber highlights








Sutton joins the Cowboys following a terrific season in the Queensland Cup for Wynnum Manly.

A Newcastle Knights junior, Sutton moved to the Seagulls mid-way through 2025 and registered a phenomenal 10 tries, 14 try assists and 15 line break assists in just 15 games.

>>> Liam Sutton highlights








King returns to North Queensland after appearing in three games for the Sydney Roosters at NRL level across the previous two seasons.

A 23-year-old outside back from Weipa in Far North Queensland, King scored seven tries and assisted on another nine in 17 games at fullback for the Roosters NSW Cup side in 2025.

>>> Ethan King highlights








A teammate of Sutton at Wynnum Manly in 2025, Philitoga joins the Cowboys after spending last season on a Train and Replacement deal with the Broncos.

The tackle-breaking 24-year-old winger scored 11 tries and averaged 133 running metres across 14 games in 2025.

Philitoga has been named to make his International debut for the Fiji Bati against the PNG Kumuls on Saturday.

>>> Ronald Philitoga highlights








One of the premier emerging dummy halves in Queensland, Mackay junior Xavier Kerrisk remains on a development list contract in 2026. 

>>> Xavier Kerrisk highlights