Cowboys assistant coach James Maloney has reportedly been sacked after being charged with drink driving on the eve of North Queensland’s finals campaign.

The Courier Mail reported Maloney had been fired by the Cowboys with immediate effect following an off-field incident in the lead up to their clash with the Bulldogs in Sydney last Saturday.

Maloney was booked for an alleged DUI over the weekend and has been axed by the club immediately.

Cowboys football boss Micheal Luck confirmed Maloney has been terminated by North Queensland bosses ahead of Round 27.

“James has left our employment,” Luck told Newscorp.

“It’s an amicable split. It’s a staff member so we won’t be commenting any further.”

Maloney only joined the Cowboys on a two-year deal last November after finishing up his playing career for Catalans in the UK Super League.

The 38-year-old turned down a consultancy role at his old club, the Sydney Roosters, to take the Cowboys post.

Maloney played 247 NRL games winning premierships with the Roosters in 2013 and the Sharks in 2016, while also representing the Blues in 14 Origins and Australia in one Test during his 11 year career.

READ MORE: Cotter eager to lock in middle role in 2022

Reuben Cotter knows all too well how injuries can affect a season but the Cowboys utility hopes the club’s difficult 2021 campaign, which included several setbacks, is quickly put behind them.

The Cowboys returned to pre-season training on Friday with Cotter one of many eager to get back on the field to help propel the side to greater heights in 2022 after another difficult year of results.

Michael Morgan’s retirement in April and Jake Clifford’s mid-season departure caused some disruption to the side while injuries to key players also hurt their momentum throughout the year.

“It wasn’t the season we wanted to produce this year and the last couple of years have been similar in that regard,” Cotter told NRL.com.

“We had a few injuries and weren’t playing the consistent footy we wanted to.

“We’d trained all season with Morgs [Morgan] and Cliffy [Clifford] in the halves and then they’re both gone. It’s hard to build any momentum and play good footy.

“It’s definitely not an excuse because we have a lot to improve but we have a base to build on now.

“Especially with the new players coming on board with the likes of Chad Townsend and Peta Hiku, I’m looking forward to a long pre-season together.”

Cotter is particularly excited for the arrival of Townsend, who went straight to Townsville after his brief stint at the Warriors finished in September.