Welcome to the North Queensland Cowboys 2026 season year ahead.
You’ll find the full 2026 fixture list (with dates, venues and kick-off times), the latest Top 30 squad, every confirmed signing and re-signing, all departures and contract lengths as at 25 November 2025.
📅 2026 Full Draw (all kick-off times = Sydney time AEDT/AEST)
| Rnd | Date | Opponent | Venue | Kick-off | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sat 28 Feb | Newcastle Knights | Allegiant Stadium (A) | 12:00am | Las Vegas opener |
| 2 | Sat 14 Mar | Wests Tigers | Leichhardt Oval (A) | 3:00pm | |
| 3 | Sun 22 Mar | Gold Coast Titans | QLD Country Bank Stad (H) | 6:15pm | |
| 4 | Sat 28 Mar | Melbourne Storm | QLD Country Bank Stad (H) | 7:30pm | |
| 5 | Sat 4 Apr | St George Illawarra | Jubilee Oval (A) | 5:30pm | |
| 6 | Fri 10 Apr | Brisbane Broncos | Suncorp Stadium (A) | 8:00pm | |
| 7 | Thu 16 Apr | Manly Sea Eagles | QLD Country Bank Stad (H) | 7:50pm | |
| 8 | Fri 24 Apr | Cronulla Sharks | QLD Country Bank Stad (H) | 6:00pm | |
| 9 | Fri 1 May | Canterbury Bulldogs | Accor Stadium (A) | 6:00pm | |
| 10 | Fri 8 May | Parramatta Eels | QLD Country Bank Stad (H) | 8:00pm | |
| 11 | Sat 16 May | Sydney Roosters | Suncorp Stadium (A) | 5:30pm | |
| 12 | Sun 24 May | South Sydney | QLD Country Bank Stad (H) | 4:05pm | |
| 13 | Sun 31 May | Canberra Raiders | GIO Stadium (A) | 4:05pm | |
| 14 | Sat 6 Jun | Dolphins | QLD Country Bank Stad (H) | 5:30pm | |
| 15 | BYE | – | – | – | |
| 16 | Sun 21 Jun | NZ Warriors | One NZ Stadium (A) | 2:00pm | Christchurch |
| 17 | Sat 27 Jun | Penrith Panthers | QLD Country Bank Stad (H) | 5:30pm | |
| 18 | BYE | – | – | – | |
| 19 | Sun 12 Jul | Manly Sea Eagles | 4 Pines Park (A) | 4:05pm | |
| 20 | Sun 19 Jul | Dolphins | Suncorp Stadium (A) | 4:05pm | |
| 21 | Sat 25 Jul | Brisbane Broncos | QLD Country Bank Stad (H) | 7:30pm | |
| 22 | Thu 30 Jul | Sydney Roosters | QLD Country Bank Stad (H) | 7:50pm | |
| 23 | Thu 6 Aug | Gold Coast Titans | Cbus Super Stadium (A) | 7:50pm | |
| 24 | Sat 15 Aug | Parramatta Eels | CommBank Stadium (A) | 5:30pm | |
| 25 | BYE | – | – | – | |
| 26 | Sat 29 Aug | Wests Tigers | QLD Country Bank Stad (H) | 7:30pm | |
| 27 | Sat 5 Sep | Canberra Raiders | QLD Country Bank Stad (H) | 5:30pm |
👥 2026 Full Playing Roster (as at 25 Nov 2025)
| Player | Contract Until | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Braidon Burns | 2026 | |
| Coen Hess | 2027 | |
| Griffin Neame | 2029 | |
| Heilum Luki | 2029 | |
| Jake Clifford | 2026 | |
| Jason Taumalolo | 2027 | |
| Jaxon Purdue | 2026 | |
| Jaxson Paulo | 2026 | |
| Jeremiah Nanai | 2027 | |
| John Bateman | 2026 | |
| Kai O’Donnell | 2026 | |
| Kaiden Lahrs | 2026 | |
| Karl Lawton | 2026 | |
| Murray Taulagi | 2026 | |
| Reed Mahoney | 2028 | ← Bulldogs |
| Reuben Cotter | 2028 | |
| Robert Derby | 2028 | |
| Sam McIntyre | 2026 | |
| Scott Drinkwater | 2027 | |
| Thomas Mikaele | CO 2026 | |
| Tom Dearden | 2029 | |
| Tom Chester | 2026 | |
| Viliami Vailea | 2027 | |
| Zac Laybutt | 2027 | |
| Ethan King | 2026 | ← Roosters |
| James Walsh | 2028 | ← Dolphins |
Development List
- Ethan King – 2026
- Liam Sutton – 2026
- Mason Barber – 2026
- Mason Kira – 2026 (NRL)
- Matthew Watts – 2026
- Ronald Philitoga – 2026
- Xavier Kerrisk – 2026
- Zac Herdegen – 2026
🌟 Confirmed 2026 Gains
- Reed Mahoney ← Canterbury Bulldogs – until 2028
- Ethan King ← Sydney Roosters – until 2026
- James Walsh ← Dolphins – until 2028
🚪 Confirmed 2026 Departures
- Reece Robson → Sydney Roosters
- Jordan McLean → Retired
- Semi Valemei → Castleford Tigers
- Jamal Shibasaki → Released
- Tom Duffy → Brisbane Broncos
- Emarly Bitungane → Released
