Todd Payten is certain a new NRL coaching deal will soon be negotiated to keep him at North Queensland.
The Cowboys are preparing for their first finals campaign under Payten, who signed a three-year contract in mid 2020 after steering the Warriors for 14 games in their first COVID affected season in Australia.
In his maiden season as head coach in Townsville, the Cowboys struggled with injuries and slumped to their fourth consecutive bottom-four finish.
But after blooding some of their now exceptional younger talent late in 2021, his side has flipped the script on a season where they were tipped to struggle again.
They are now just two wins away from securing two home finals in September.
Payten has one year remaining on his contract after this season and said while he's yet to enter negotiations with the club is confident it'll get sorted in due course.
"The club are well aware of how much I love the town and the club," he said on Friday.
"That'll get sorted when the time is right and I've got no doubt that it will."
When asked whether he would prefer a short or long-term deal, Payten was not without his regular dry humour.
"As most money for as long as possible," he quipped.
Although the forthcoming finals series will be his first as head coach, Payten brings with him premiership-winning experience as an assistant.
He was a deputy to the late Paul Green when the Cowboys triumphed in 2015 against Brisbane alongside South Sydney coach Jason Demetriou, whose side his team will meet this weekend in a must-win clash.
Both sides will look to boast their premiership credentials at Accor stadium on Saturday with the Cowboys looking to keep a strangehold on second place on the ladder.
They are tied with Cronulla on 34 points but have a superior for and against, which will be the difference should both sides win their final two matches.
For the Rabbitohs last week's loss to Penrith has them looking over their shoulder at the ninth-placed Raiders to maintain their spot in the eight with a clash against cross-town rivals the Sydney Roosters in round 25.
The Cowboys can finish their season with a winning record in their travels to Sydney should they see-off Demetriou's side, with a clash against minor premiers Penrith in the final round.
