Green confident Morgan will sign deal
COWBOYS coach Paul Green says contract talks are “heading in the right direction” as the club looks to lock down their premiership- winning mentor and key playmaker Michael Morgan.
Morgan’s manager Paul Sutton is in Townsville this week and will begin formal negotiations on extending the off- contract five- eighth’s stint with the Cowboys.
“I’ve said all along my preference is to stay,” Green said of his playmaker. “It’s heading in the right direction, so there’s nothing to make me think otherwise. I’m in no hurry but I’m sure we’ll get it sorted.”
Morgan showed he’s deserving of marquee money after his outstanding form in guiding a depleted Cowboys to the grand final last year.
With Johnathan Thurston’s retirement at the end of the season to free up salary cap space, the Cowboys are hot favourites to retain the Townsville junior.
“I’d love to see Morgo stay,” Green said. “He’s a local kid but at the end of the day he’s got to make a decision that’s right for him, and hopefully that will be to stay with us.
“He certainly grew in that leadership area and his form, in particular the back end of the season, was outstanding for us.
“A few others had to step up, but Morgs probably led that for those games.
“It was really pleasing to see him take those steps from a de- velopment point of view.” A number of other big- name Cowboys players are off contract, including Ethan Lowe, Jake Granville, Justin O’Neill, Antonio Winterstein, Ethan Lowe and Shaun Fensom. In other Cowboys news, young half Kyle Laybutt has shifted from his former allocated Q Cup club the Townsville Blackhawks to the Mackay Cutters.