Todd Payten, the only NRL coach without a deal beyond this season, says he has no desire to coach anywhere but North Queensland, while backing Reed Mahoney to shine in a grudge match against his former club Canterbury on Friday night.
Payten’s Cowboys are chasing their sixth win from their past seven games when they take on the Bulldogs at Accor Stadium. Victory would not only keep the Cowboys in the top eight, but also boost Payten’s chances of earning a contract extension.
The club have been in no rush to table the 47-year-old premiership prop a new deal, and last year reportedly inquired about Josh Hannay taking on the top job before the former Cowboy signed with the Gold Coast.
Payten said he was prepared to address his future one last time when he landed in Sydney on Thursday, and said all he could do was ensure the playing group continued to win. He added he was mapping out the roster moving forward, “and still making decisions like I’ll be here next year”.
“I haven’t put any timeframe on it,” Payten told this masthead. “The sooner something happens the better, but it could take a while – our club is very considered, and I like that.
“I have no ambition to be anywhere else. I love the town, love the club, I fell in love with the place the first month I was there, it’s been good to my family, I love coaching this team and group.
“The club means a lot to our community. It means a lot to me. I grew up in a small town [Temora], Townsville is a big country town, a lot of the values in the community are very similar to what I had growing up, and that’s what I like.
“I haven’t got any ego. For peace of mind it would be nice to get something done. It was uncomfortable after two rounds [following two defeats], but I’d seen enough in the pre-season and the trials to know we were always going to be a different-looking team.”
Payten took over the Cowboys in 2021 and led them to the finals in 2022, when they lost the preliminary final at home to Parramatta, then again in 2024.
The Dogs have lost their last two, while the Cowboys host struggling Parramatta next weekend in what will be Jason Taumalolo’s 250th game.
The Dogs clash will be one Mahoney had long circled in his diary after being let go by the club last year. Mahoney told this masthead in the off-season he remained unsure why he fell out of favour at Belmore.
“If you find out, tell me,” said Mahoney, when asked about his early exit.
To add to the fireworks, there were reports Mahoney clashed with Dogs winger Marcelo Montoya in a nightclub in Las Vegas after the double-header. It was reported Mahoney had said things that upset Montoya, but Cowboys officials insisted it was the other way around.
“I’ve been in Reed’s situation, and while he’ll say publicly it’s just another game, this means more,” Payten said. “I expect he’ll get a not-so-warm welcome from certain sections of their fan base.
“He was a part of that club for a long time. I know he’s been great for us, not just on the park but in the building when it comes to leadership and leading by example.
“It became very apparent he wasn’t required there [at the Dogs], and he was keen to join us. He’s got a good combination going with Soni Luke coming off the bench, and he hasn’t got his nose out of joint. He’s just about the team.”
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