a statement released shortly after the Sharks announced the signing

The Sharks have landed a major recruitment coup for the 2025 season with the signing of Dally M Prop of the Year Addin Fonua-Blake. 

The Tongan front-rower has agreed to terms on a four-year deal with Cronulla which will run from 2025-2028, but will remain with the Warriors in 2024 before moving on, having requested and been granted an early release from his contract with the Kiwi club.

Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon said he is excited to have bolstered the class and depth of his forward pack from 2025 onwards with the addition of Fonua-Blake.

“Addin is a world class front-rower and we are delighted to be adding him to our roster,” Fitzgibbon said.

“Throughout the negotiation process we have been impressed by his attitude, his genuine desire to help make the Sharks successful and to complement and work alongside both those in our leadership group and the young forwards we have coming through our system.

In a statement released shortly after the Sharks announced the signing, Warriors CEO Cameron George confirmed the arrangement excluded a player swap option.

To date Fonua-Blake has played 159 NRL games, in addition to 11 Test matches for Tonga and one for New Zealand.

The Cowboys have agreed to terms with playmaker Tom Dearden on a new five-year deal which will keep him in North Queensland until at least the end of the 2029 season.

The club announced they had re-signed the 22-year-old on Tuesday afternoon, after he moved across from Queensland rivals the Broncos in the middle of 2021.

Since then Dearden has appeared in 58 games for the Cowboys, scoring 22 tries and assisting a further 28, with his form resulting in a debut for the Maroons last year.

“This is a great day for our club, locking in one of the most talented young playmakers in rugby league to remain in a Cowboys jersey until the end of the decade,” Cowboys GM of football Micheal Luck said.

“Today’s announcement finalises what we believe is a solid foundation for our club to build around with Tom, Scott Drinkwater and Reece Robson all locked into long-term deals.

“We were always confident Tom wanted to remain part of our club because he has thrived in our environment. His improvement as a player has been considerable since he first arrived in 2021 and we believe he’s only scratched the surface.”

The Roosters meanwhile have extended Naufahu Whyte on a two-year extension which will see the young forward remain at the club until the end of the 2026 season.

The 21-year-old backrower has made 11 first grade games since making his debut with the club back in 2021, including eight games in 2023.

Having also been named as 18th man in the Kiwis squad for the recent Pacific Championships, Roosters head of recruitment Daniel Anderson said he was pleased to have Whyte extend.

“It’s been terrific to watch Fahu’s growth within our squad over the last few years,” Anderson said.

“He’s a hard worker and a good person, and his best footy is ahead of him, so it’s great to have him locked into the club’s long-term plans.”