Josh McGuire didn’t take long to endear himself to North Queensland Toyota Cowboys fans during his maiden season at the club.

The marquee recruit began 2019 in outstanding form, which was extremely crucial with Jason Taumalolo sidelined with a knee injury for five weeks.

McGuire averaged 174 metres and 32 tackles a game through the first seven rounds, but a calf injury in Round 8 halted his blistering start.

He would return in Round 11 and a barnstorming performance in a victory over the Raiders helped him retain his spot in Queensland State of Origin side.

McGuire best performance at club level came in Round 6 against the Warriors in New Zealand. With his team entering the game on the back of five consecutive losses, McGuire produced an 80-minute performance for the ages, with the 29-year-old running for a season-high 220 metres.

2019 stats

Games: 17

Average minutes: 60

Average run metres: 139

Average post-contact metres: 50

Average tackles: 32