The Newcastle Knights have announced the signing of firebrand prop Trey Mooney on a four-year deal.

The 23-year-old is a Parramatta local junior but has predominantly built his reputation in the nation’s capital where he’s made 25 NRL starts for the Raiders.

After being selected in the junior New South Wales and Australian Schoolboy sides, Mooney was poached by Ricky Stuart to develop under the stalwarts of the Canberra pack.

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His apprenticeship has lasted four seasons, and just as he’s entering his rugby league prime, the Knights have swooped in and got a deal across the line.

Newcastle’s head of recruitment Peter O’Sullivan believes Mooney is the archetype of forward that the Knights pack has been missing.

“We are so excited to have Trey join us at the Knights,” said O’Sullivan.

“Trey meets all the criteria we are looking for to complete our middles list; he is a strong defender with a big athletic body, who produces great offloads and quick play the balls.

“He is an intelligent footballer with NRL experience, and all the skillset required to be an NRL starting forward week in week out.”

The Knights made a splash in the open market earlier this season by signing Dylan Brown to the most lucrative contract in NRL history.

Mooney, a one-time Maori All Star, represents another step that powerbrokers in the Hunter have taken to rebuild this roster after a nightmare season.