Something had to give at the Brisbane Broncos with so many forwards and it has, with Josh McGuire to join the North Queensland Cowboys.
McGuire, who has been a mainstay of the Broncos side for several years now, joins the Townsville-based club on a four-year deal.
Since debuting in 2010, McGuire has played 194 games in the NRL, all for the Broncos.
Also in that time, McGuire has played Origin for Queensland and represented both Samoa and Australia at the international level.
For the move to happen, McGuire had to be released by the Broncos, as they wish him well at his new club.
“Josh has been a wonderful servant of the club and we wish him and his family all the very best in the future,” Broncos CEO Paul White said.
“Josh has been part of our system from a young age, came through our youth development and the NYC to become an outstanding senior player.”
With the chance to secure his long-term future, the Broncos were not going to stand in McGuire’s way.
“In a perfect world, we would be able to keep Josh at the club, but this is a fantastic opportunity for him to sign a long-term deal and secure the future for his family,” continued White.
“We are enormously grateful for everything that Josh has done, we wish him the best, and he will always be welcome back at the club.”
As he prepares for his move North, McGuire says it is a chapter of his life that he looks forward to.
“While it will be sad to leave Brisbane, I am excited with what lies ahead,” McGuire said.
“I’d like to thank the Broncos and their members and fans for everything over more than a decade as part of the club – they will always hold a special place in my heart.”
To make the move even sweeter, McGuire is a player that Cowboys coach Paul Green knows well having previously coached him.
“I coached Josh as a junior at both the Queensland Academy of Sport and the Broncos Academy and have followed his career closely,” Green said.
“His development over the years has really impressed me and to reconnect and have the opportunity to work with him again is something I’m personally really looking forward to.
“I’m really excited about what Josh can bring to the Cowboys.”