The St. George Illawarra Dragons have confirmed the signing of Jacob Liddle on a one-year deal after being released from the remainder of his contract by the Wests Tigers.
Liddle, who debuted at Concord in 2016, has been on the outer at the club since they announced the signing of Apisai Koroisau before Round 1 kicked off, coupled with the developing talent of Jake Simpkin and Rua Ngatikaura.
The Dragons have been on the lookout for a hooker following the potential retirement of Andrew McCullough, forced to use Moses Mbye and Jayden Sullivan as rakes throughout their 2022 campaign.
Liddle's name has been tossed around Red V headquarters as well as the off-contract Jake Turpin, however Anthony Griffin has steered towards the former as his 2023 roster takes shape.
Wests Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe was glowing in his appraisal of the departing No. 9, highlighting his qualities as a person, opposed to his footballing talent.
“An opportunity presented itself at the Dragons for Jacob and it’s an outcome that works for all parties,” said Pascoe.
He is a tremendous talent, a lovely young man, and an outstanding person."
“We wish Jacob the very best for his future and thank him for all that he has done for this club over the past seven years."
One man's trash is another man's treasure, and that's certainly been the case as Dragon's general manager of football, Ben Haran, believes they've filled a much-needed roster spot.
"The opportunity to bring Jacob to the Dragons was a good fit for all involved," Haran said.
"Hooker is a position we identified as needing further depth in and Jacob is a good prospect for the club given his age and experience."
Liddle is the Red V's first signing for 2023 outside of their retention, and is in the box seat to start at hooker for St. George Illawarra in the opening round of the 2023 NRL season.