Cowboys signing Dearden sends halves merry-go-round in a spin

Brisbane now shape as the keystone club in the NRL's rapidly shifting $5 million playmaking merry-go-round, with Adam Reynolds looming largest on their radar after Tom Dearden's move to the Cowboys.

Confirmation that Dearden will return to his old North Queensland stomping ground on a three-year-deal in 2022 – with Dearden rightly or wrongly so often mentioned in the same breath as Broncos icon Allan Langer – leaves Kevin Walters' scrumbase intentions clear as day.

Staring down the worst opening two months to a season in the club's history, Brisbane have resolved that securing a senior half at market is the only means of capitalising on a forward contingent packed with potential.

"Obviously we are disappointed [at Dearden's prospective exit] but we have clear priorities on who we are targeting to strengthen our roster going forward," Walters said in a club statement on Monday.

"We will continue to work through that process in the weeks and months ahead."

Brisbane have flagged their interest in Reynolds on a possible three-year deal with his management, at the same time asking whether the 30-year-old half would genuinely look to shift his family of four young children interstate.

The jury remains out on that key element of any further talks.

With the Sharks also well and truly eyeing off the South Sydney premiership-winner, staying in Sydney at a club that has not plumbed depths anywhere near as much as Brisbane holds obvious appeal for Reynolds.

It's the same consideration for fellow heavy-hitting halves Mitchell Moses and Shaun Johnson, who if they aren't in Brisbane's calculations, would fit the bill perfectly for what they need. 

They sit at the top of a long list of playmakers unsigned for 2022 including the likes of Ash Taylor, Corey Norman, Milford, Matt Moylan, Scott Drinkwater, Sam Walker and Benji Marshall.

The chance to play behind a quality, young pack led by Payne Haas is just about Brisbane's best selling point.

Amid myriad issues at Red Hill, the club's big men have matched it with opposing heavyweight packs from Penrith, Melbourne (until Ryan Papenhuyzen intervened) and Parramatta twice across the opening seven weeks.

For 30 minutes in a Top End pressure cooker last Friday night, Haas, Matt Lodge and Tevita Pangai jnr held their own against the Eels, yet Brisbane ended up getting thoroughly outclassed 40-6.

Consistently over the past two seasons, and especially in 2021, halves Dearden, Brodie Croft and marquee man Anthony Milford - who has been relegated to the Intrust Super Cup - have simply not been able to capitalise on the platform laid before them.

For Dearden to be lumped with such expectations and a label of being "the next Alfie" is particularly unfair on a halfback who until six weeks ago was still a teenager.

At the same age a rugby league lifetime ago, Langer was still learning the ropes under the late, great Tommy Raudonikis at Ipswich.

Tom organises his team with great maturity for a 20-year-old.

Todd Payten

Were the Broncos not still circling the lowest depths the club has known, Dearden would not have such a fierce focus on his development.

But he has had to make the first steps of his career in arguably the NRL's most intense environment, a one-city town that lives and breathes everything in maroon and gold, while wearing the club's most revered jersey.

Brisbane have questions to answer around how they have let Dearden go after he was previously rated a better long-term option than now-Roosters prodigy Sam Walker.

Responsibility for 18 halves changes between 53 games since the start of 2019 obviously rests not just with Walters, but it was a theme continued throughout the pre-season and early rounds as Dearden and Croft especially continued to interchange.

Since first meeting with the Cowboys in February, Walters has consistently stressed, as recently as just last week, that Dearden remained a retention priority.

But with Brisbane painfully aware of their need for a match-winning, game-managing, marquee man at the scrumbase, the club held fire on locking Dearden down given the market's state of flux.

In stark contrast, the Cowboys lined up their two halves targets and moved with swift purpose to get them.

Chad Townsend's shift from the Sharks sees him installed as the senior figure Dearden so sorely needs beside him next season.

From an initial meeting with Todd Payten, through to personal tutelage from Johnathan Thurston and last week's three-year offer, the Cowboys have long made Dearden a recruitment priority.

"Tom organises his team with great maturity for a 20-year-old, he’s a strong runner, he kicks well and he gets his body in front as a defender," coach Todd Payten said.

"He played first grade at 18, so it’s clear he has an abundance of ability and he’s been the standout half in his age group coming through the grades.

"On top of that he is a North Queensland kid, who is a really good person that is going to add significant value to our roster."

The Cowboys are clear, they think they've got the man they need to help lift them out of their playmaking mire.

The overwhelming necessity now in the Red Hill rebuild is for Brisbane to now do the same.

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