2024 NRL Transfer Centre: Eels star confirms switch to rivals, Dolphin follows Wayne to Souths as Pangai says…

enrith have confirmed the worst-kept secret in the NRL by signing rising star Blaize Talagi on a three-year deal to leave the Eels.

The 19-year-old opted out of the final year of his Parramatta contract and despite being offered a crack at his preferred position of fullback at his current club, he has opted to switch to the Panthers until the end of 2027.

Talagi made his NRL debut in Round 3 this season and has gone on to play 15 first grade matches, scoring 11 tries.

Dolphins veteran Euan Aitken will join coach Wayne Bennett at South Sydney next season after the Rabbitohs on Monday confirmed they had signed him to a three-year deal.

Equally at home at centre or the second row, the former Dragons and Warriors utility has scored 55 tries in 192 NRL games and is set to pack down on an edge for the Bunnies.

Dolphins teammate Tevita Pangai jnr will join Catalans next season and has Bennett’s blessing to do so, as the coach revealed the Tongan international was never in his sights at South Sydney for 2025.

Pangai, 28, joined the Dolphins in June to reunite with his mentor Bennett, who is all for him having a crack in the Super League.

Bennett said he was comfortable saying “au revoir” to Pangai Jnr, whom he signed on a one-year deal with the Dragons. “I am really pleased for Tevita. He is a young man and it is a good club Catalans. He has got his head back on his shoulders and knows what he wants now,” Bennett said.

“He wants to play rugby league and I am sure he will come back and play in Australia at a later date.

“The English league is tough amongst the top teams and I am sure he will enjoy his time there.”

Bennett will coach South Sydney next year but said reports linking Pangai to a Rabbitohs move had been wrong. “That was you guys going on about that. I never spoke about that and we never spoke about it. It was never on (Souths’) agenda,” Bennett said.

Meanwhile, NRL premiership winner Jake Granville has played his last game for North Queensland but will pursue playing opportunities overseas in 2025.

Granville, the NRL’s third-oldest active player at 35, appeared a chance of retiring from rugby league after suffering a season-ending pectoral injury in the recent defeat of Wests Tigers.

Instead, the off-contract hooker is keen to relocate his family overseas for a rugby league swansong.

Tristan Sailor has explained why he is leaving Brisbane for St Helens and credits wisdom from former St Helens and St George Illawarra forward James Graham for making the move.

The 26-year-old secured a release from the final year of his Broncos deal to sign a two-year contract with the Super League powerhouse who he will link with at the end of the NRL season.

Former international Graham played 225 games for St Helens and lit a fire in Sailor.

‘”Obviously I was at the Dragons with James Graham and he told me all about the club,” Sailor said. “He is a club legend there and he told me about the history of it and how passionate the fans are, similar to the Broncos.

“That English blood runs a bit more red so it will be interesting seeing what the crowds are like.

“I have good mates over there and (former St George Illawarra half) Adam Clune who is playing for Huddersfield has told me what the lifestyle is like.”

Warriors veteran Shaun Johnson has announced he will retire at the end of the NRL season.

The 33-year-old halfback informed teammates of his decision on Monday, with the club announcing the news a short time later.

Manly have extended the contract of prop Taniela Paseka until the end of 2029 with fellow front-rower Josh Aloiai inking a deal for three more years..

“He is still in his mid-20s, so his best footy is going to continue to develop over the next four of five seasons, which is the reason why we have signed him long term,” Sea Eagles coach Anthony Seibold said.

Aloiai, 28, has played 150 NRL games, 60 of those for Manly after starting at Wests Tigers.

Melbourne have added Tigers prop Stefano Utoikamanu on a three-year contract. He exercised a clause in his contract to gain an early release from his Wests deal.

The Storm have released centre Reimis Smith to finish the year in the Super League with Catalans.

Parramatta have failed in their bid to re-sign Blaize Talagi with the rising star set to join Penrith while Warriors veteran Jazz Tevaga will leave the club at the end of the season.

Roosters winger Daniel Tupou has signed a two-year contract extension while Sharks centre Kayal Iro has done likewise after a superb rookie season.

NRL Transfer Centre

Team by team, here’s how each club’s roster is shaping up. PO denotes player option, CO club option and MO mutual option.

Brisbane Broncos

2024 recruits

Fletcher Baker (Roosters), Jaiyden Hunt (Dragons), Jack Gosiewski (Cowboys)