Kiwis powerhouse Jason Taumalolo has signed a new record deal with the North Queensland Cowboys, the club has announced.
The reigning Dally M medallist put pen to paper on an unprecedented 10-year extension with the club worth approximately $NZ10.9 million, expiring in 2027.
The deal will see him stay at the Cowboys through to the age of 34, eclipsing the eight-year contract signed by Daly Cherry-Evans with the Manly Sea Eagles.
"I'm very proud and honoured to be able to say that I'm staying a Cowboy for life," Taumalolo said.
"This club – including my teammates, the coaching staff, and the people that are its heart and soul –mean the world to me, as do our amazing members and fans.
Taumalolo had reportedly been courted by a number of NRL teams, including the cashed-up Warriors.
"One of the greatest pleasures of being a professional rugby league player with the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys is running out on to our home ground at the start of the game and hearing that roar.
"I started this amazing journey as a young kid in the academy program in a Cowboys jersey and I'll finish up in one."
Widely considered the NRL's most damaging forward, the 23-year-old has been with the club since 2010 after being spotted during a New Zealand under-16s tour to Australia.
Taumalolo also expressed his aspirations for an NFL career, working out for a group of scouts representing 14 of the league's franchises in Los Angeles of which a handful have signalled their interest.
Cowboys General Manager Football Peter Parr said striking a long-term deal with the club's young star made sense on several fronts.
"On current form, Jase is one of the best players in the competition and given his age we felt the longer that we could secure him for, the better for everybody," Parr said.
"It (the deal) gives Jase good security and the club knows that it’s secured the best young forward in the game for a considerable period of time.
"We wanted a win-win in this deal – as we do with every player negotiation – and that's what we've got."
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