LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
Following an impressive season in the QLD Cup, where he emerged as the top try-scorer with 26 tries in 22 games, Dudley Dotoi has received a train-and-trial contract from a Queensland NRL club.
This opportunity allows Dotoi to train with the NRL squad during the pre-season, after which he will return to the Blackhawks for the 2026 season, having extended his contract with the team.
There's a possibility that his train-and-trial contract with the Cowboys may be extended, as his reserve-grade coach believes he deserves to play in the first-grade rather than remaining in the QLD Cup.
"I really hope I am not coaching him next year," said Dotoi's QLD Cup coach and former NRL playmaker Terry Campese in an interview with The Townsville Bulletin in September. "He belongs in the NRL. He is an NRL player."
Campese further noted, "It's hard to say (why he is not in the NRL). Clubs have got their top 30 rosters and development lists sorted halfway through the year, but the further we go in the finals, the more eyes will be watching him."
He concluded, "If I was a recruitment guy at an NRL club, I would be moving fast to get him."