North Queensland Cowboys head coach Todd Payten has shed light on the challenging choice the club faced regarding Scott Drinkwater and rising talent Jaxon Purdue.
Drinkwater will bid farewell to the Cowboys at the conclusion of the 2026 season after securing a lucrative three-year deal with the St George Illawarra Dragons starting in 2027, thereby wrapping up his eight-year journey in Townsville.
Since his move from the Melbourne Storm in 2019, after just one NRL appearance with them, the 29-year-old has evolved into a pivotal player for the Cowboys. Over the course of 160 matches, Drinkwater has notched up 62 tries, and in the current season, he has scored eight tries in 17 games, including a decisive field goal in golden point against the Manly Sea Eagles last week.
At the start of the season, his future became a hot topic, with many anticipating that the Cowboys would seek to keep the seasoned fullback. However, Payten confessed that salary cap constraints led to a challenging decision.
"It was difficult, but in the end, if I'm going to be straight out honest, it was Drinky or Jacko," Payten told The Daily Telegraph.
"With the salary cap the way it is, Jaxon being a 21-year-old kid and Drinky getting on 30, it was not an easy decision, but the decision we went with was for the future."
"We have list management meetings once a month; that's when I cast my mind into future years. Every decision that I've made since I've been at the club is about us as a group moving forward, and I'll continue to make what I think is the best decision for us as a club."
This decision has been likened to a previous major roster choice by Payten, where he opted to retain Drinkwater over Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, who has recently emerged as a top player at the Dolphins.
Payten acknowledged that there have been instances where he has reflected on his significant decisions.