The Wests Tigers have confirmed seven new signings for the 2025 NRL season as the club looks to make good on their promise of becoming a development club.
Of the seven players, five - Tim Johannsen, Lachlan Broederlow, Kobie Wilson, Vaka Aho and Jaxson Rahme - are local juniors.
Johannsen is the most well-known of the group after making his NRL debut earlier this year. The 22-year-old enjoyed a stunning rise from the lower tiers of NSW Rugby League competitions and has now signed a two-year deal.
Broederlow has also signed a two-year deal. The second-rower has impressed for the Tigers at the junior levels and will now push for higher honours in the coming seasons.
Rahme is a middle forward who played his junior rugby league for Balmain before moving to the Newcastle Knights, where he has played 21 NSW Cup games this season. He is a former Australian Schoolboy.
Wilson, a 21-year-old hooker, is in his first full season with the Tigers after switching from the Sharks, while Aho, a prop, has played for the Tigers throughout pathways and has recently been elevated to reserve grade.
The other two signings are the experienced QLD Cup dummy half Tristan Hope from the Brisbane Tigers in the QLD Cup competition. He, in much the same way Jayden Berrell made his way to the Cronulla Sharks some seasons ago, will join the Tigers after winning the QLD Cup with the Tigers last year.
He was part of the Melbourne Storm's NRL pre-season this year, but the former under-18 Queensland Maroons representative is yet to make a first-grade debut despite having 69 QLD Cup appearances under his belt. He is also a goal-kicker.
Eiden Ackland is the last of the seven signings, having previously played for the Manly Sea Eagles and New Zealand Warriors at reserve grade level, as well as featuring in NRL trials. He is another goal-kicker.
"Building for the future is not just about strengthening the top 30, but also about adding quality to the next tier," Wests Tigers CEO Shane Richardson said in a statement revealing the signings.
โMost of these players are being rewarded for what they have shown in our pathways program, and we have also reached outside our own system to add another layer of quality.
โI firmly believe that to have a successful NRL team, there must be healthy competition within the broader roster.
โWe are delighted that all seven players have put pen to paper and are fully invested in what we are building.โ
It's unclear if any of the players will be included in the club's Top 30 at this stage.
