KNIGHTS chief executive Philip Gardner expects Kai Pearce-Paul to emulate fellow Englishman Dominic Young and establish himself as a crowd favourite at Newcastle.
Pearce-Paul will play his final game for Wigan on Saturday when they meet Mitchell Pearce's Catalans Dragons in the Super League grand final at Old Trafford.
The towering forward has signed a two-year deal with the Knights, along with another recruit from the Old Dart, Huddersfield utility back Will Pryce.
While Pryce faces stiff competition to crack a start in a Newcastle backline that is largely established, Pearce-Paul shapes as a ready-made replacement for veteran back-rower Lachlan Fitzgibbon, who is joining Warrington.
And Gardner believes he will soon become a personality player along the lines of Young, who thrilled Newcastle fans by scoring 43 tries - including a club-record 25 this year - in a three-season stint, before accepting a deal with Sydney Roosters.
"We've got high hopes for Kai," Gardner told the Newcastle Herald.
"He's a big, tall guy with a lot of skill, and he's been playing really well for Wigan in their run into the grand final.
"I wouldn't be surprised at all if he becomes a bit of a cult hero, like Dominic was.
"We all loved watching Dom play, and we're disappointed that he chose to move on, but we're very confident Kai can have a similar impact.
"We're looking forward to getting him out here."
Standing 1.96 metres tall and weighing 101 kilograms, Pearce-Paul debuted in Super League as a 19-year-old and has earned comparisons to former dual international Sonny Bill Williams.
"He's very athletic, a tall guy and has good evasion and an off-load," Knights coach Adam O'Brien said. "He'll add a lot to our attack."
Pearce-Paul's estimated time of arrival in Newcastle will hinge on whether he is chosen in the England squad for their upcoming Test series against Tonga. The Lions will host the Mate Mate in Tests on October 23, October 29 and November 5.
While Newcastle's preference is to get him out here as early as possible, O'Brien said he would understand if Pearce-Paul wanted to play against a Tongan side that will feature his future Newcastle teammate Tyson Frizell.
"I'd never stand in the way of a kid playing for his country," O'Brien said.
Pearce-Paul has played in two Tests for England but, while he was a member of their World Cup squad last year, he could not get past their seasoned back-row trio of Elliott Whitehead, John Bateman and Victor Radley.
He is unlikely to walk into a starting spot at Newcastle next season, either, after the emergence of Dylan Lucas, who played seven NRL games in 2023 and showed genuine potential.
The Knights have also signed Jed Cartwright, who played 31 NRL games for Penrith and South Sydney.
