Two England internationals from Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves have been dubbed as “potential targets” for North Queensland Cowboys.
The NRL outfit currently have Englishman John Bateman, who spent the end of last year with Warrington and had previously played for Wigan, on their books.
Whilst Bateman is an established veteran, the Cowboys are looking for a younger man and in a different position with the Townsville-based club seeking a hooker.
Canterbury’s Reed Mahoney was offered to them per reports, however, they declined with the Cowboys creating a list of other options.
Those other options include Wigan Warriors’ Brad O’Neill and Warrington Wolves’ Danny Walker, both of whom have signed lengthy contracts tying them to their respective Super League clubs.
Wakefield Trinity’s signing for 2026, Tyson Smoothy, was also an option before he opted to sign the three-year deal with the West Yorkshire club, according to the reports from The Daily Telegraph.
Other targets included Billy Walters and Tanah Boyd with the former representing a more senior option than the English pair of O’Neill and Walker.
Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves stars dubbed ‘potential targets’ for NRL club
Walker was heavily linked with a move to the NRL in 2024 with the Canberra Raiders keen to secure his signature, however, the Warrington man knocked back the offer and signed a new deal.
Conceding that he came close to leaving Warrington, Walker explained that he could not “forgive myself” should Wire win silverware and he not be a part of it, citing the direction of the club as another major reason behind signing his five-year deal which ties him to the club until 2029.
Brad O’Neill signed a five-year deal in December 2024, a month before Walker followed suit, with Wigan also tying their star man down until the end of the 2029 season.
Speaking on that, O’Neill explained that the NRL had always been a dream but asked “why would you want to leave Wigan at this moment in time”, when explaining his choice to remain with the Warriors.
O’Neill made his playing return in Round Six against Salford Red Devils after a period of almost 250 days out of action.
