The St George Illawarra Dragons have continued their recruitment spree by signing experienced half Kodi Nikorima for next season.
The Dragons are in the midst of a major roster overhaul, with reports first emerging last night that Nikorima would be next to join the joint-venture.
That has now been confirmed by the club, and Nikorima will join for at least the 2027 and 2028 seasons.
“Kodi's achieved so much in the game and has been playing great football at the Dolphins,” Dragons head coach Dean Young said.
“He's a classy player. His ball-playing ability and decision-making are elite. We are looking forward to welcoming him to the club in November.”
Nikorima is off-contract at Redcliffe and was expected to battle out the starting halves jersey with incoming recruit George Williams, while Isaiya Katoa is a lock to wear the number seven.
The 32-year-old has played 237 NRL games across his career, and will add much-needed stability in the Red V halves who are struggling for direction this season.
The club parted ways with Shane Flanagan after seven straight losses to start the year, with Dean Young taking over mid-season.
Since then, the club has won two matches in 2026, and Young has been elevated to full-time coach of the Dragons.
Nikorima has had a decorated career across stints at the Broncos, Warriors, Rabbitohs, and the Dolphins, while representing the New Zealand Kiwis at Test level on 18 occasions.
He is set to join incoming stars Keaon Kaloamatangi, Scott Drinkwater, Luke Metcalf, Connor Watson and Phillip Sami.
Accompanied by the Dragons' talented young crop of forwards, which includes the Couchman brothers, Dylan Egan, Hamish Stewart, and Loko Pasifiki Tonga, they shape up as a formidable future prospect despite all but securing the wooden spoon this year.
Nikorima could well line up alongside Metcalf in the Dragons first-choice halves next year, leaving Daniel Atkinson scrapping for a position elsewhere in the backline, and Kyle Flanagan on the outside looking in.
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Nikorima, who had been linked to the English Super League,0 will link up with the Red V in November for the start of pre-season.
