Zac Laybutt
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 16 January 2002 Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 190 cm (6 ft 3 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 94 kg (14 st 11 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Centre, Wing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: As of 10 November 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | Bundaberg State High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relatives | Kyle Laybutt (brother) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Zac Laybutt (born 16 January 2002) is a Papua New Guinea international rugby league footballer who plays as a centre for the North Queensland Cowboys in the National Rugby League.
Background
Laybutt was born in Bundaberg, Queensland, and is of Papua New Guinean and Indigenous descent. He attended Bundaberg State High School and played his junior rugby league for the Western Suburbs Panthers before being signed by the Melbourne Storm.
Laybutt's older brother Kyle played two NRL games for the North Queensland Cowboys.
Playing career
In 2018, Laybutt represented the Queensland Murri under-16 team in their 36–26 win over New South Wales Koori. In 2019, he joined the Sunshine Coast Falcons, playing for their Mal Meninga Cup team.
In 2021, Laybutt signed for the North Queensland Cowboys, joining their Young Guns squad. That season he played for the Townsville Blackhawks in the Hastings Deering Colts competition, starting at centre in their Grand Final loss to the Wynnum Manly Seagulls.
In 2021, he returned to Cairns, joining the Northern Pride's under-21 side and the North Queensland Cowboys Young Guns squad. In 2022, he played for Townsville in the Colts and Queensland Cup. On 24 September 2022, he captained the Blackhawks in the Colts' Grand Final win over the Redcliffe Dolphins.
2023
Laybutt spent the pre-season training with the Cowboys' NRL squad, coming off the interchange in their pre-season draw with the Dolphins. In round 13 of the 2023 NRL season, Laybutt made his first grade debut against the Parramatta Eels. In round 26, Laybutt scored two tries for North Queensland in their 34-10 victory over the Dolphins. He was selected to play for the PNG Kumuls alongside his older brother Kyle Laybutt (captain) and won the Pacific (Bowl) championship in PNG against the Fiji Batis 32-12.
2024
In round 1 of the 2024 NRL season, Laybutt scored two tries for North Queensland in their 43-18 victory over the Dolphins. On 9 April, it was announced that Laybutt would miss the rest of the 2024 NRL season after suffering an ACL injury.
2025
On 4 June, North Queensland announced that Laybutt had re-signed with the team until the end of the 2027 season. Laybutt played 14 games for North Queensland in the 2025 NRL season as the club finished 12th on the table.
2026
Laybutt played 20 matches for North Queensland in the 2026 NRL season as the club finished 8th and qualified for the finals. He played in the clubs elimination final loss to Cronulla. On 10 November 2026, the PNG Chiefs announced the signing of Laybutt on a two year deal from 2028.
Statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Tries | Goals | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 |  North Queensland Cowboys |
4 | 3 | 12 | |
| 2024 | 4 | 3 | 12 | ||
| 2025 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 22 | |
| 2026 | 20 | 3 | 12 | ||
| 2027 | |||||
| Totals | 42 | 12 | 5 | 58 |
References
- ↑ Rugby League Project
- ↑ "Laybutt aims to emulate Kumuls brother". The National. 17 February 2022.
- ↑ "Zac steps out of his brother's shadow". The Courier Mail. 29 November 2017.
- ↑ "Brothers Kyle and Zac Laybutt in Cowboys trial match". Bundaberg Now. 27 February 2022.
- ↑ "Laybutt heading into a Storm". NewsMail. 30 June 2018.
- ↑ "Laybutt to debut for Cowboys". The Courier Mail. 24 May 2023.
- ↑ "Opportunity knocks for Murri Under 16 players". QRL. 23 February 2018.
- ↑ "MURRI GREAT START FOR ZAC: Laybutt stars". NewsMail. 8 March 2018.
- ↑ "2019 Mal Meninga Cup results – Round 6". 18th Man. 14 April 2019.
- ↑ "Zac Laybutt to play for Cowboys in 2022". The Courier Mail. 24 November 2021.
- ↑ "U21s Grand Final team list". Townsville Blackhawks. 6 October 2021.
- ↑ "Hastings Deering Colts TEAMS - 2021 Round 5". League Unlimited. 11 May 2021.
- ↑ "Cowboys combine for six tries in the Hostplus Cup". NQ Cowboys. 16 August 2022.
- ↑ "Eleven Cowboys contracted players named for U21s Grand Final". NQ Cowboys. 22 September 2022.
- ↑ "Get to know our young players ahead of Sunday's trial". NQ Cowboys. 10 February 2023.
- ↑ "Cowboys final team list: Trial v Dolphins". NQ Cowboys. 12 February 2023.
- ↑ "Cowboys team list: Round 13 v Eels". NQ Cowboys. 23 May 2023.
- ↑ "Brown's stunner as Eels unearth hidden gem; star leads Cowboys transformation: Big hits". www.foxsports.com.au. 26 May 2023.
- ↑ "Cowboys stun Dolphins in must-win game to keep finals hopes alive". www.foxsports.com.au. 25 August 2023.
- ↑ "Laybutt stars in Cowboys rout to go top of table; Dolphins implode despite recruits: What we learned". www.foxsports.com.au.
- ↑ "NRL Team Lists: Round 6". www.nrl.com.
- ↑ "Cowboys re-sign Vailea and Laybutt". North Queensland Cowboys. 4 June 2025. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
- ↑ "The Mole's season review: 'Leaderless' Cowboys prove $10m gamble on Jason Taumalolo was a flop". www.nine.com.au.
- ↑ "Mole's season review: Young gun tipped to fill Cowboys void 'for the next decade'". www.nine.com.au.
- ↑ "PNG Chiefs lock in Kumuls international as player #008 | Sporting News". www.sportingnews.com. 10 November 2026. Retrieved 10 November 2026.
External links
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