Joseph Suaalii given time to decide as Knights turn to Blake Green
The Knights have turned to Blake Green to save their season as teen Joseph Suaalii has been given time to make a call on his future.
Teenage superstar Joseph Suaalii has been given time and space to make a decision on his future by South Sydney but Newcastle have confirmed Blake Green will join the Knights for the rest of the season as an answer their injury dramas.
Suaalii turned 17 on Saturday and the expectation was that he would make a call on his future, either signing a long-term deal with Souths or pledging his future to rugby union. In the end, he chose neither as both codes gave him some breathing room to weigh up the biggest decision of his budding career.
There was no opportunity for Green to do the same as the Knights secured the Warriors veteran to strengthen their premiership push. The Knights got their man after frantic 11th hour talks – on the night of the deadline for players to switch clubs – cleared the way for him to join Newcastle. The Australian understands Green will play in the halves alongside Mitchell Pearce for the rest of the season, Kurt Mann set to switch to hooker.
Knights coach Adam O’Brien is understood to have spoken to his senior players before making the move for Green. The Knights have lost Jayden Brailey, Andrew McCullough and back-up hooker Connor Watson to season-ending injuries already this year.
Green was entering his final months at the Warriors, having been told by owner Mark Robinson that he would not receive an extension.
The Warriors confirmed he had approached the club through his manager Isaac Moses seeking a release from the last three months of his contract to enable him to join the Knights.
“We were committed to Blake staying with us for the rest of the season but he and his management have indicated they want an immediate release,” said Warriors chief executive Cameron George.
“Given the circumstances we have granted his request.
“We thank Blake for the contribution he has made to the Warriors over the last three years and wish him and his family all the best for the future.”
Melbourne meanwhile managed to get a deal done for former Cronulla centre Ricky Leutele in time for him to help their premiership push.
Leutele has been playing with the Toronto Wolfpack and was cleared to play for the Storm after the players union agreed to relax a clause that demanded he receive a set amount of money this season.
Leutele will leave Manchester with his family in coming days and go into quarantine on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, where the Storm have been based since being forced to relocate from Victoria. And Gold Coast captain Ryan James is expected to confirm as early as Tuesday that he has taken up a two-year deal from Canberra from next season.
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