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"Fired up": Townsend identifies the two Cowboys primed for a massive 2026
Sam Kosack • December 12th, 2025 2:33 pm
SEN’s Chad Townsend has backed new Cowboys’ signing Reed Mahoney to return to his best form after a rough exit from the Bulldogs.
Mahoney has joined the North Queensland Cowboys’ on a three-year deal after being released from the final year of his deal at the Bulldogs.
The hooker fell out of favour at Canterbury, with the club instead opting for Bailey Hayward in their finals campaign.
Now, Mahoney has returned to Queensland to replace Reece Robson, who has moved to the Sydney Roosters, with Townsend believing Mahoney will benefit the Cowboys in their quest to return to finals.
“I almost think it's like for like replacement, to be honest,” Townsend said on SENQ Breakfast.
“I think Reece Robson's had a tremendous career so far, and he's gonna add a lot of value to the Roosters, but I really like the pick-up of Reed Mahoney.
“He's really excited, and I think he's got a bit of a fire lit inside him with regards to just how his season finished this year with the Bulldogs.
“Obviously his minutes were slowly getting reduced, then he didn't play that final in Melbourne against the Storm… but now he's found a home… he's got a fresh start, and by all reports, when I talked to the players, he's holding them accountable.
“To the way they wanna play, I think the Cowboys are going to get a good one, a fired up Reed Mahoney, and I'm really excited to see how he goes."
Townsend also commended the commitment and athleticism of Cowboys’ captain Tom Dearden after a standout 2025 season.
Dearden finished tied-fifth on the Dally M leader board after moving to halfback, ultimately winning the Wally Lewis Medal series for helping Queensland to an Origin series win this year.
Townsend, who played alongside Dearden in the halves at the Cowboys between 2022 and 2024, praised Dearden’s professionalism and leadership, identifying him as a key player if the team hopes to return to finals.
“(He’s) absolutely elite, Townsend said on SENQ Breakfast.
“He had a tremendous 2025 season, transferred for the first time in that number seven jersey, and I really like Tom (Dearden) in the seven.
He's the leader of that team, obviously the captain as well. The Wally Lewis Medal winner in 2025 for Queensland, he's got one of the sharpest and the greatest show-and-go I've ever seen in my life.
“We just saw that video of Tom Dearden breaking the club record of their 1.2km Bronco test in pre-season... the Bronco, you start on the try line, you go out 20 metres, back 20, out 40, back 40, out 60, back 60 times 5, so it's a 1.2-kilometre time trial.
“Tom Chester, who's ultra, ultra fit, he's just come back from an ACL, and he broke Tom's previous (Bronco) record… and then Tom Dearden's obviously had an extra couple of weeks off because he played with the Kangaroos.
“He's come back; he's found out Tom Chester's broken his record. What does Tom Dearden do on his first day back? He comes in, breaks the record and runs an absolutely insane time, four minutes, 18 seconds.
“The guys who have done more than five preseasons, they're classed as veterans, so they get nine weeks off.
“Obviously the Cowboys didn't make the finals… it wouldn't surprise me if Tom decided to come back a couple of weeks early just because of the importance of where the Cowboys situation is at, right?
“They need all hands-on deck and it's just great to see Tom leading by example.”
