LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
James Maloney has emerged as a key cog in North Queensland's coaching department after the former NRL star made an immediate impact at pre-season training.
They won a premiership together in the halves, but Cowboys playmaker Chad Townsend says James Maloney is no longer a "larrikin" after the former rep star proved how valuable he can be as an assistant coach in the NRL.
The pair teamed up to help the Sharks end their premiership drought in 2016 and have reunited, with Maloney coming back to Australia after a decorated playing career.
The 37-year-old won premierships with the Roosters and Sharks and has joined North Queensland to lead their attack, which looked unstoppable at times in 2023 but fell away as they lost four of their final five matches to miss the top eight.
Maloney left the NRL in 2019 following two seasons with Penrith and spent the next two years playing for Catalans in the English Super League, helping them to the 2021 grand final that they lost to St Helens.
The former representative five-eighth spent time with Lezignan in the French league where he had a player-coach role that has given him some experience before his move to the Cowboys where he's working under Todd Payten.
"I remembered him as a teammate and he was a bit of a larrikin," Townsend told SEN.