‘ Next JT’ anointed as kingpin Cowboy
LOCKED IN: Jason Taumalolo at yesterday’s media conference announcing his 10- year deal. THE Cowboys are confident handing Jason Taumalolo a lifetime deal will not only help enhance their premiership quest on the field, but their brand off it.
Four- time Dally M medallist Johnathan Thurston will play on for at least one more season next year before he hangs up the boots.
Thurston’s image is plastered on billboards around North Queensland and Taumalolo may be the next “JT” to become the face of the organisation.
The 23- year- old’s football ability is unquestioned, his devastating displays resulting in a maiden Dally M win of his own last season.
But while the Cowboys are wary of not putting too much pressure on the quietly spoken Kiwi international until he’s ready, football manager Peter Parr says he is capable of easing into the promotional scene.
“I think he’s doing that already with the football he’s producing and that will be up to Jason with our support,” Parr said.
“I think he’s capable of doing that for a long period of time but that will depend on how he applies himself, how he goes about preparing for games and how he plays.
“He’ll dictate that to some degree, but we want to make sure we’re putting all the right support mechanisms around him to do that.’’
Taumalolo now exudes an air of assurance when he’s thrust in front of a media scrum, and has come a long way since he became the youngest Cowboy to debut when he was still in Year 12.
“He’s maturing and he’s like a lot of young players, he had to learn about professionalism,” Parr said.
“He’s still only 23 years of age. The last thing we want him to do is rush him into something he’s not ready for.
“But he’s taking more responsibility around the team and you’d think as he gets older that will continue. You don’t want to be putting responsibility on blokes who aren’t comfortable with it.
“We’ve got some really good leaders here at the moment and at some stage during his career he’ll have to take on some more responsibility and all the signs are he’ll be ready for that in the future.”
Cowboys CEO Greg Tonner said Taumalolo epitomised the community image the Cowboys wanted to portray.
“Jason’s long- term commitment to the Cowboys and region speaks volumes for his confidence in the strength, stability and future of our great club,” Tonner said.
“He spoke of the importance of our culture in his decision, and it’s a common thread in many of our player renewals. Our club is driven by strong values that prioritise family, region, teamwork and commitment and we believe that these also resonate with our partners, members and fans.”
Cowboys general manager brand and experience Jacqui James- Eggins said: “His onfield feats drive his off- field appeal and that will only grow given our key stakeholders know that he’ll be integral to the Cowboys brand for the next decade.’’