The South Sydney Rabbitohs have signed three emerging players until the end of the 2026 season, with including utility forwards Lachlan Hubner and Max McCarthy and five-eighth Gerome Burns signing on from next season.

Hubner and Burns will reunite with coach Wayne Bennett, with Hubner making his NRL debut with the Dolphins this year, while Burns – who has signed a development contract for 2025 and a top 30 deal for 2026 – also featured in the Pre-Season Challenge with the club.

McCarthy is a member of the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks’ Jersey Flegg and has also has signed a development contract for 2025 and a top 30 deal for 2026.

The Dragons have announced the signing of representative outside back Valentine Holmes on a three-year deal from 2025.

The Cowboys earlier confirmed his early release from the final year of his contract, effective from the 2025 season.

Holmes has so far played 198 NRL matches for the Sharks and Cowboys, including winning the 2016 grand final, with 101 career tries.

“Valentine is a top-class, versatile player who will be a great asset for our club over the coming seasons,” Dragons coach Shane Flanagan said.

Holmes also has 21 tries in 20 Tests for Australia, and 13 tries in 19 State of Origin matches for Queensland.

Injured Kiwi back Bailey Simonsson has extended his time at Parramatta for three more years until the end of the 2027 season.

“I love this club and everybody involved in it,” Simonsson said. “I feel at home here, so it was an easy decision for me to stay and work towards where I want to be and where the club deserves to be.

“I’m very grateful to the club for sticking by me through my injury and I’m keen to give back to them and our fans with my performances over the next three years.”

Wests Tigers have signed powerful winger Jeral Skelton for the next two seasons.

Elsewhere, Wests Tigers have signed blockbusting Bulldogs winger Jeral Skelton for the next two seasons.

Skelton made his NRL debut in Round 19 last year and has so far racked up six games for the Bulldogs, scoring three tries.

The Queensland-born outside back will join Wests Tigers in the 2025 pre-season.

“I think this is a great opportunity for me, and I’m really happy with this decision,” the 25-year-old said.

“Obviously I want to finish this season strongly with my current teammates, but I look forward to meeting my new teammates in pre-season.”

Dolphins five-eighth Kodi Nikorima has agreed to a new two-year contract with the club.

On the eve of his 200th match in the NRL, Nikorima has inked a deal that will make him a Dolphin until at least the end of the 2026 season.

“He has been consistently dangerous for us in the halves since joining the Dolphins last year,” Dolphins chief executive Terry Reader said.

“He and Isaiya Katoa have built a nice partnership in the halves.

“With Isaiya already locked in for an extended term, the signing of Kodi gives us great stability in the spine, especially when you note that hooker Jeremy Marshall-King and fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow are all committed to long-term contracts.”

The Penrith Panthers have landed the prized signature of boom rookie Blaize Talagi on a three-year deal.

The 19-year-old is one of the hottest prospects in the game and the Eels were desperate to retain him after he opted test the market earlier this year.

Talagi informed the club last month of his decision to depart and Penrith have confirmed he will join the team next season on a deal that takes him to the end of 2027.

The Rabbitohs have announced the first new signing of the Wayne Bennett era, with Scotland international Euan Aitken signing until the end of the 2027 season.

Aitken, 29, will move with Bennett from the Dolphins at the end of the season and is expected to play in the second-row after beginning his career as a centre at the Dragons in 2015.

Aitken, 29, has scored 55 tries in 192 NRL games and represented Scotland on five occasions, while also playing one match for Country Origin in 2016 and representing the Australian Prime Minister’s XIII in 2015.

Injured Cowboys utility Jake Granville has played his last match for the club he is a life member of after announcing he will depart North Queensland at the end of the 2024 season.

Granville, who has appeared in 207 games for the club after arriving in North Queensland in 2015, has indicated a desire to play overseas.

He will miss the remainder of the 2024 season with a pec injury, meaning the club legend has donned Cowboys colours for the final time.

The 35-year-old played a pivotal role in the club’s historic maiden premiership in 2015, throwing the final pass for two of the Cowboys’ three tries in the 17-16 grand final triumph over the Broncos.

Granville became the 12th Cowboys life member, and just the ninth player to appear in 200 games for the Cowboys in Round 5 against the Titans earlier this season.

Elsewhere, Melbourne Storm has landed the signature of representative prop Stefano Utoikamanu on a three-year contract until the end of the 2027 season.

Utoikamanu, who advised Wests Tigers officials earlier this week that he was leaving, last year made his Origin debut for New South Wales and represented Samoa in the Pacific Championships.

A Parramatta junior, he has played the last four seasons at Wests Tigers, but exercised a get out clause in his contract and the Storm were among the clubs interested in his services.

“Stefano is an exciting young forward and also an impressive young man,” Storm GM of football Frank Ponissi said.

“I’m sure he’s going to come with a working hard attitude and be ready for a big pre-season when he joins us later this year. We are excited to welcome Stefano and his family to the club.”