The Knights have bolstered their squad for 2027 with veteran forward Marata Niukore signing a three-year deal to return to Australia.

Niukore spent the first five years of his career at the Eels and is currently in his fourth season with the Warriors, where he’s fresh off scoring a try in their drought-breaking win over the Storm.

The 29-year-old still has plenty of good footy left in him but is seeking a fresh start in Newcastle, with the Warriors boasting some of the best young talent in the game, which could have seen him struggle for opportunities going forward.

The Knights have struck gold in the recruitment department with Trey Mooney thriving after he made the move from Canberra, while Dylan Brown was looking great before he suffered a knee injury.

“We are super excited Marata and his family have chosen to come to the Knights in 2027,“ Knights head of recruitment Peter O’Sullivan said.

“He is a big athletic body, who can play in the middle or on the edge, with the same level of execution.

“Marata is one of the top edge defenders in the game and having played a lot of NRL in the centres, he adds genuine skill and versatility to our future stocks.

“Equally importantly, we know he is a great person, who cares about the club, the community and the teammates he represents, already committing to leaving the jersey in a better position than how he receives it.”

Meanwhile, the Dragons have confirmed that edge forward Jaydn Su’A will leave the club at the end of the year.

“Jaydn has been an important part of our squad and has made a valued contribution to the club during his time in the Red V,” Dragons chief executive Tim Watsford said.

“We thank Jaydn for his contribution to the Dragons and wish him and his family all the best for the future.”

The former State of Origin forward has been heavily linked with a move to the Eels, with the club not ruling out a possible mid-season move.

“We do have the ability to do that (sign players now) but that’s something that we’ll have to look at with our recruitment team during the week and the weeks coming,” Eels coach Jason Ryles said as the club deals with a mounting injury crisis.

Originally published as Marata Niukore to return to Australia next year as Eels leave the door open for Jaydn Su’A move