The North Queensland Toyota Cowboys have agreed to contract extensions with forward trio Mitch Dunn, Francis Molo and Emry Pere.
Dunn and Pere have both inked two-year extensions through the end of the 2022 season, while Molo has agreed to one-year deal for 2021.
A homegrown North Queensland product, Dunn was signed to the Cowboys Mackay Academy as a teenager before graduating to the under 20s in 2015.
The 23-year-old converted into a second-rower upon joining the Cowboys top squad in 2018 and made his NRL debut in Round 13 of that season.
Dunn has showcased his versatility in his 19 NRL games, spending time at second-row, centre and hooker.
Molo had made just six NRL appearances before joining the Cowboys in 2018.
The hard-running middle forward played seven games in his maiden season in North Queensland, but in 2019 he emerged as one of the competition’s most damaging interchange forwards.
Molo was one of just four Cowboys to appear in all 24 games for the club in 2019 and was nominated for Dally M Interchange Player of the Year.
Twnty-one-year-old prop Pere is a product of the Cowboys New Zealand Academy and relocated to North Queensland for the 2016 under 20s season.
A two-time Junior Kiwis representative, Pere is yet to make his NRL debut, but has been named in the Cowboys 21-man squad on a number of occasions this season.
“It’s a great day for the club to have three young players commit for next season and beyond. I think most people can see we’ve been planning for the future in recent times and all three of these players are going to play a considerable part in our future,” Cowboys Director of Football Peter Parr said.
“Mitch Dunn has been with our club for a number of years. He came through our pathways program, captained our under 20s and is now an important part of our NRL squad. He’s had different interruptions through injury, but we’re really confident once he’s able to string some games together he will have a long and successful NRL career.
“Frank is a little older, but he’s still young in terms of games played. In a challenging time for our club, particularly over the past four or five weeks, Frank has been a bright spark and he is a player who will only continue to improve.
“Emry has also come through our development programs and has learnt over the past 12 months what is required to become an NRL player. He’s closing in on an NRL debut and we have no doubt once he reaches that level he’ll stay there.”
