Days away from the start of the 2025 NRL season, the Newcastle Knights have revealed that they have made a new signing which will boost their forward stocks.
Over the past six months, the Knights have decided to shake up their roster as they look to free up space in their salary cap but also remain in premiership contention.
Following the departures of Daniel Saifiti, Leo Thompson and Sebastian Su'a in recent months, the club have stated that they have signed a "good young forward" which will add to their depleted forward stocks.
"We've got another very good young forward coming here," Knights recruitment manager Peter O'Sullivan said in an interview with The Daily Telegraph.
"I can't announce it yet but he's a very good player."
In the same interview, O'Sullivan revealed the main reason behind Leo Thompson exiting the club at the end of the season after agreeing to join the Canterbury Bulldogs on a four-year deal.
One of Newcastle's best in 2024, Thompson has been a bright light for the club since making his club debut in 2022 and has shown in only 64 matches that he will be one of the competition's best forwards in the coming seasons.
His great form saw him called up to the New Zealand Kiwis for 2023's end-of-year Pacific Championships, where they defeated Australia in the Final and he would regain that spot in the national team last year.
"Leo was disenchanted by previous people at this club who told him lies before we got here," O'Sullivan added.
"That's on the record too. He was told he was getting upgrades and they didn't eventuate. He was filthy.
"He's been carrying that disappointment for a couple of years."
