The North Sydney Bears have confirmed the departure of five-eighth Jesse Marschke to join the St George Illawarra Dragons on an NRL contract.
In what is Marschke's first professional NRL contract, the 26-year-old is coming off a dominant year in the NSW Cup, which saw him lead the Bears to the Grand Final and earn team of the year honours.
“Jesse adds valuable depth to our spine and is coming off a strong season with the Bears,” said Dragons Head Coach Shane Flanagan.
“We look forward to welcoming him to the club as we ramp up our preparations for the start of the 2024 season.”
Although he has yet to play in the NRL, he has plenty of experience in reserve grade, having played from 2018 to 2023 for the Newtown Jets, Canterbury Bulldogs and North Sydney Bears.
Most recently, he trained with the Melbourne Storm during the pre-season.
As the Bears have confirmed his departure from the NSW Cup team, he will join the Dragons Top 30 roster for the 2024 season on a one-year contract.
"First coming to the Bears in 2021 and having played 44 games in the red & black, the North Sydney Bears are pleased for Jesse to have the opportunity to now progress on to a full time NRL contract with the St George Illawarra Dragons," the club posted on their website.
"Until we make our own return to the top league, it is our aim to continue to provide an excellent football program that develops our players to the highest level.
"Marschke's move up to the NRL is testament to the club's current coaching staff, winning culture and high-performance programs.
"We thank Jesse for his time with the Bears and look forward to watching him make his debut in the NRL soon."