The Knights are honing in on a replacement for Leo Thompson, who is set to leave the club at the end of the season, and the news won’t be received too kindly by Sharks fans.
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Code Sports are reporting that Cronulla cult hero Tom Hazelton is reportedly on the Knights’ radar.
Hazleton is without a deal beyond the 2025 season, and the Knights believe he can fill the void of Thompson, who signed a four-year deal with the Bulldogs from 2026 earlier this week.
Hazleton may struggle to earn the same minutes this season as he did last year given the Sharks have added star prop Addin Fonua-Blake.
With Thompson now off the market, Hazelton is arguably the best prop without a deal for 2026.
Teammate Oregon Kaufusi is another who is unsigned beyond this season, but Code Sports are reporting that Cronulla are closing in on a deal with him.
Hazelton has become one of the more popular players at Cronulla, winning Sharks and NRL fans over with his try scoring knack and stellar play.
If the Knights are able to get a deal done with the 25-year-old, he likely pushes for a starting spot in Newcastle in 2026.
That’s unlikely to be the case in Cronulla for the foreseeable future given Fonua-Blake’s arrival and the likes of Toby Rudolf and Kaufusi in a packed front row room.
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