Latest news with #PeterOSullivan
Yahoo
29-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Done deal: Knights veteran handed one-year extension
People power has won over at Newcastle, with Dane Gagai handed a one-year extension to play on at the Knights in 2026. Off contract at the end of this year and now aged 34, Gagai's future had appeared uncertain as he entered the final months of 2025 unsigned. That prompted an online petition for the club to re-sign the former Queensland State of Origin star. The deal is now complete, leaving Tyson Frizell and Adam Elliott as the remaining two veterans unsigned at the Knights. "Everyone knows Dane brings experience and competitiveness to every contest, every day," Knights recruitment manager Peter O'Sullivan said. DAWG 😤⚔️#defendthekingdom — Newcastle Knights (@NRLKnights) July 29, 2025 "He has worked really hard for his extension, his tenacity to never give up and willingness to play in any position, especially through extenuating circumstances, shows his true character. "This extension compliments and balances our squad perfectly for next season." Gagai's extension means his career will go into a 16th season, having played 309 games since his debut with Brisbane in 2011. The centre spent six seasons at Newcastle between 2012 and 2017, before returning to the club in 2022 after a four-year stint at South Sydney. Gagai has been one of the shining lights for the Knights in a side that has struggled to find form and consistency.
News.com.au
12-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Newcastle Knights sign Canadian winner of Las Vegas combine
The Newcastle Knights have pounced on a relative free hit, signing the Canadian winner of the Las Vegas combine and hoping he bucks the trend of others who have failed to make an NRL career. Marcus D'Acre, a 194cm athlete who is set to play in the outside backs, will begin his journey playing in the Jersey Flegg Cup, the elite under-21 competition, after signing a contract until the end of 2026. The first year of the 20-year-old's $1200-a-week contract will be exempt from the salary cap and half funded by the NRL as per league rules. D'Acre played top-level rugby in Canada, Singapore and New Zealand and holds an Australian passport through his Melbourne-born father Nigel. The Knights are excited about the prospect they have on their hands. . 'Marcus has been on my radar for quite a while after I got a tip from former Dragons NRL player David Niu, who is based in the United States of America,' Knights head of recruitment Peter O'Sullivan said. 'He is a beautifully balanced athlete with speed and agility who can beat people. 'Marcus also kicks goals at 85 per cent. While we understand it will take him some time to learn the game and the increased levels of physicality, we believe he has the tools to go on much further in the NRL.' The NRL combine in Vegas involved 50 prospective players during the extravaganza that opened the 2025 season. D'Acre was one of two men chosen among four winners overall. None of the other three have signed a contract yet. The only other player to earn a contract on the back of the combine, Liz Tafuna, left the NRLW's Sydney Roosters before last season began.
