NRL signings: Jake Clifford joins Newcastle Knights on two-year deal
Newcastle Knights finally have their new playmaker after Cowboys pivot Jake Clifford inked a two-year deal with the club.
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Newcastle has finally secured their man in North Queensland half Jake Clifford.
The Daily Telegraph reported on Sunday that Clifford had all but agreed to a two-year deal to join the Knights from 2022.
The new contract was made official on Tuesday.
Clifford, 22, is being favoured to be Newcastle’s long-term playmaker when veteran Mitchell Pearce either retires or moves on.
Knights head of recruitment, Clint Zammit, says Clifford and Newcastle are a perfect match.
“When the opportunity arose to sign Jake, I thought it was a perfect fit for both parties,” Zammit said.
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“We believe he will grow alongside the likes of Mitchell Pearce, both as a player and as a person.
“He’s a good young talent from a good family and will be a great addition to both our playing group and the Knights for a long time.”
A future Queensland State of Origin player, Clifford was told he could seek interest from rival clubs for next season and agreed to join Newcastle — only for North Queensland to renege and demand he stay for 2021.
The Cowboys though weren’t going to extend his deal, allowing Clifford to join Newcastle for 2022 and 2023.
Now that he has found a new club there remains an outside chance Clifford could be granted an early release from North Queensland for next season.
Player managers are tipping player movement in the NRL to settle now before kickstarting again the New Year.
New Cowboys coach Todd Payten admitted backflipping on Clifford for 2021 was difficult.
“The whole Jake Clifford scenario wasn’t handled well by our club, and I played a small part in that,” Payten told The Cairns Post.
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