Several NRL clubs are reportedly interested in the 24-year-old’s signature.
Newcastle Knights prop Leo Thompson is reportedly on the verge of sealing a $3.2 million move to the Canberra Raiders in 2026, despite interest from a host of rival NRL clubs. Wide World of Sports reported on Friday that Ricky Stuart’s Raiders have won the race for one of the hottest players on the open market and that Thompson has informed teammates about his big-money move.
The Knights were hoping to extend the Kiwi Test star beyond 2025 but the 24-year-old has made it clear he’s ready to move on from Newcastle after next season. The Bulldogs were among the clubs interested in signing Thompson, who met with Canterbury officials, including coach Cameron Ciraldo last week. However, the Dogs ruled themselves out of the running for the prop’s signature.
The Sydney Roosters also emerged as a late threat to Canberra’s hopes of snaring Thompson, with Trent Robinson’s side losing veteran prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves after last season and releasing Terrell May to join the Wests Tigers in 2025. But the Raiders had a distinct advantage over their rivals due to the fact Thompson’s girlfriend is from Canberra and the prop played junior footy in the nation’s capital.
Parramatta and the Dragons were the other clubs reportedly keen on recruiting the Kiwi Test star from 2026 onwards, sparking a bidding war for his services. And while the reported $800,000 per season, four-year deal is a lot of money for a prop, NRL great James Graham says he believes it represents a great piece of business for the Raiders.
“I think he’s the hottest one on the market,” Graham said on The Bye Round. “It definitely seems like it’s halfbacks and then front-rowers for players who will be paid the most. I think for a guy like Leo Thompson – and this sounds strange – but he is probably worth more because he doesn’t play Origin.”
Graham compared Thompson to some of the best props in the game who are all on deals worth more than $800,000 per season, such as Addin Fonua-Blake, Payne Haas, Joseph Tapine and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui. And the former England international says based on Thompson’s age and career trajectory, he believes the 24-year-old can cement himself among the game’s elite middle forwards.
James Graham says Leo Thompson deal could be a ‘steal’
“As crazy as this might sound, that 800k per year compared to [Addin] Fonua-Blake, [Payne] Haas, [Joseph] Tapine and the Tino [Fa’asuamaleaui] types, who are on anywhere between 900 and $1.1 million … with his best football ahead of him and if he can get into the top of the props category, that 800k could look like a steal,” Graham added. “It sounds insane and especially back from when I was playing and even to verbalise it. People will be listening and thinking ‘a bargain for 800k, come on mate’. But when you draw comparisons – he’s still got that in his locker.”
Thompson has quickly established himself as arguably Newcastle’s most important middle forward, having started in all 23 games be played for Adam O’Brien’s side in 2024. The prop averaged 31 tackles and 104 run metres for the Knights last season as they snuck into the NRL finals, but Roosters star and Kiwi Test teammate Brandon Smith says it’s his preparation and work ethic that has really impressed him, and led to comparisons with four-time premiership winning prop, James Fisher-Harris.
Everyone I have spoken to, they all call him ‘baby Fish’ because the way Fish prepares, Leo Thompson does exactly the same thing, and that’s something you want,” Smith said. “He has still got a lot more potential to grow, he has come from rugby union and this game is still relatively new to him. The trajectory he is going in all points to good things. It seems crazy to think, but that $800,000 is deadset the $600,000 from four years ago. Things have changed and the money has gone up.”
The loss of Thompson for 2026 is set to be a massive blow for the Knights, who recently released fellow prop Daniel Saifiti to join the Dolphins. Thompson has established as one of the NRL’s leading middle forwards and it’s an area Newcastle coach Adam O’Brien would be looking to strengthen, rather than seeing weakened by the prop’s exit. Newcastle have signed Thompson’s twin brother and former Super Rugby forward Tyrone for the 2025 season.
However, Thompson looks set to move to the Raiders and return to the nation’s capital after coming up through Canberra’s junior system. The Raiders may view the prop as a natural successor to veteran and fan favourite Josh Papali’i, whose current deals runs out at the end of next season.
