St George Illawarra Dragons hooker Jacob Liddle has made an official call on his future after taking his game to new heights this season off the interchange bench.
Making an immediate impact after entering matches for Damien Cook from the interchange bench, Liddle has agreed to a three-year contract extension with the Dragons until the end of 2028, taking him off the open market.
Formerly with the Wests Tigers, the 28-year-old has made 129 first-grade appearances (56 with the Dragons) and is being courted as the Cook's successor at the Dragons once he decides to hang up the boots on his playing career.
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"Jacob has become a really important player for us since joining the club, and his form this year has been outstanding," coach Shane Flanagan said.
"His role has changed a bit this year, and he's been able to transform that into some really dynamic performances coming off the interchange.
"He's a consistent and reliable player for us, whether starting or off the bench, and we're extremely happy to be able to extend his time at the club by another three years."
The decision from the 2024 PM's XIII representative means the dummy-half market has become even shorter, with Jayden Brailey, Reece Robson, and Tom Starling signing new contracts in recent months.
With the North Queensland Cowboys still looking for a replacement for Robson, there is set to be more attention on the likes of Gordon Chan Kum Tong, Cory Paix, Luke Sommerton and Jake Turpin in the coming weeks.
