The three-club race for Adam Elliott's signature is over, with the released Newcastle Knights forward set to continue his NRL career with the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

One of the NRL's most underrated and consistent performers, Elliott, who can play lock or hooker, was not offered a new deal by the Knights at the end of 2025.

He has now been confirmed as a new acquisition for the Rabbitohs on a one-year deal.

“Adam has been a consistent performer at the NRL level for a decade now and we feel he will add experience and create more depth within our forwards stocks this season,” Rabbitohs head of recruitment and retention Mark Ellison said in a club statement.

“He is renowned as a hardworking and aggressive forward, a punishing defender, and he has a reputation as a leader of men and a player that teammates want to play with.

“We're looking forward to seeing him in red and green this season and we welcome him, his wife Millie, and his children Lenny and Gigi to the Rabbitohs family.”

The Knights are in the middle of a restructure of their playing roster and salary cap as they look to climb away from the bottom of the table under the coaching of Justin Holbrook heading into 2026.

Elliott was chased by the Wests Tigers and St George Illawarra Dragons per widespread reports before the new year, but was also in the sights of the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

The deal, which is believed to be cut-price, comes with South Sydney's salary cap stretched following the recent signing of David Fifita after he was released from the Gold Coast Titans.

The 31-year-old played just seven games in 2025 after suffering an arm injury in Round 12 which ended his campaign.

Given South Sydney recently let Davvy Moale go a year early, and that they have lost Jacob Host, Siliva Havili and Shaquai Mitchell during the off-season, Elliott will be an important acquisition for the club, however, is no guarantee of starting.

Cameron Murray will almost certainly assume the lock forward role after missing the 2025 campaign with injury, while Lachlan Hubner and Tallis Duncan are also in the mix.

Duncan is expected to start in the second-row, while Keaon Koloamatangi and Jai Arrow will likely be at prop.

The floated six-man bench could be the fastest way to a spot in the NRL week in and week out for Elliott.

Eliott has played 173 NRL games dating back to his debut, having played for the Bulldogs, Raiders and Knights.