The North Queensland Cowboys have pulled off a sharp piece of recruitment just a month after their season wrapped up, bolstering their future forward pack.
Promising young front-rower Fanafou Seve has agreed to join the club on a one-year deal, departing the Sydney Roosters who highly rated the boom youngster.
Seve is no stranger to the big stage, having represented NSW at under-19s State of Origin level and making a name for himself as a destructive force in the Jersey Flegg competition.
The 20-year-old has impressed with his power running and defensive presence, and Cowboys coach Todd Payten is understood to be keen on fast-tracking his development.
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With the retirement of veteran prop Jordan McLean leaving a gap in the forward pack, Seve has a real opportunity to push for an NRL debut in 2026 with a strong pre-season in Townsville.
Other forwards departing the Cowboys include back-rower Jamal Shibasaki and middle forward Emarly Bitungane.
Along with those departures, the Cowboys also face the prospect of their other middle forwards moving towards the end of their respective careers, with Jason Taumalolo turning 33 years of age next season and Coen Hess entering his 30s.
The young gun has already built a reputation as one of the more exciting front-row prospects coming through, having played with both the Bulldogs and Roosters at junior level.
While Seve heads north to Townsville, his younger brother Itula remains in the Roosters system, raising the prospect of the siblings facing off in future NRL battles.
It is an astute signing from Todd Payten, who could end up reaping immediate rewards from Seve as well as securing their future forward stocks if they do indeed re-sign him again.
Having missed the top eight this season, the Cowboys will be looking to bounce back and play September football in 2026, and signings like Seve will only help build towards those goals.