KNIGHTS MOVE TO KEEP KIWI
Newcastle have taken the first significant step towards keeping prop Leo Thompson out of the clutches of their rivals after tabling an upgrade and two-year extension to the New Zealand international.
Thompson, off contract at the end of next season, is on a miserly deal given he has become a fixture in the Knights side and a Test player for the Kiwis.
It is understood he is on less than $300,000 this season and around $350,000 in 2025, well below market value for a player with his resume and reputation.
The Knights have made it one of their priorities to negotiate a deal but it won’t be easy - Thompson is believed to be leaning towards testing the open market and a host of clubs are clambering to make a bid for the 24-year-old.
Newcastle have a battle on their hands but Knights recruitment boss Peter O’Sullivan has fired the first salvo in the fight for Thompson after offering a deal to the Kiwi International and his manager Daniel O’Loughlin.
“We put something to Leo,” O’Sullivan said.
“I have had two good meetings with Leo and Daniel, clearly told them where I think the club is heading and they have been really receptive.
“Leo is entitled to wait. If he wants to test the market or see what his value is, that is his right. That never worries me or scares me.
“We will have a figure for Leo moving forward that is sustainable and within our grasp of financial responsibility.”
O’Sullivan sees Thompson as a key part of the club heading forward, particularly with the prospect that Daniel Saifiti may be on the move at the end of the season after being granted permission to test the market.
However, he knows that Thompson will have the final say.
“We want him to stay but it is an open market,” O’Sullivan said.
“I never get too worried about someone who leaves or someone you don’t sign, it its more about someone you shouldn’t sign in the scheme of things.”
