St Helens brace for Morgan Knowles decision as NRL side make major move for England star
St Helens are set to lose forward Morgan Knowles to the NRL next year, with former boss Kristian Woolf plotting a reunion at the Dolphins. The England star is off-contract at the end of season and has been in discussions with the Australian club about a move down under in 2026.
Knowles has commanded attention on both sides of the globe in recent months but it has been Woolf and the Dolphins who have pushed hardest to secure his signature, with Saints' former Grand Final-winning head coach desperate to recruit him after the pair won three successive Super League titles together during Woolf's time in the UK. Negotiations are thought to have started before the turn of the year and continued since.
Saints have been working tirelessly to retain the 28-year-old, who has been with the club since the age of 15 and has gone on to make 218 appearances for the club. And while they still retain some hope that they can convince Knowles to stay, there is an understanding that the opportunity to take on a new challenge in the NRL could well prove too good to turn down.
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Knowles himself has expressed a desire for his future to be resolved ahead of the new season, which would suggest both a decision and announcement are imminent with the Super League campaign just over a fortnight away.
An early decision, one way or another, also suits Saints as it would provide them with the opportunity to adapt their recruitment plans for 2026 at an early stage, as opposed to last year when Sione Mata'utia's future remained up in the air until the latter stages of the season.
But with the Dolphins pushing hard, Saints are bracing for a reality where Knowles leaves the club at the end of the season.
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