One of only two players who were off-contract at the North Queensland Cowboys, winger Semi Valemei has confirmed that he will be switching clubs for next season.
A six-time international for Fiji, Valemei has mainly been used as a back-up option since he arrived in Townsville and will now not only exit the Cowboys but also the NRL as he looks for a fresh start.
Featuring in only four matches this season, and a further 13 games after joining in mid-2023 from the Canberra Raiders, the hard-running winger has agreed to a two-year contract to join the Castleford Tigers in the Super League competition.
“When I spoke with Chris a couple of weeks ago, it got me excited, especially when he talked about the club and how it will operate moving forward," Valemei said.
"All the Cas fans are passionate about their rugby, and one of my mates is playing there too, so I'm also excited to play alongside him.”
The move to Castleford will see him link up with Blake Taaffe and Mikaele Ravalawa in what is set to be a star-studded back-line.
He is the fourth signing for the 2026 campaign, which will see St George Illawarra Dragons assistant Ryan Car take over as head coach.
“I'm really excited to see Semi in a Cas shirt in 2026. Semi possesses both speed and power, and he's a proven try-scorer at the highest level," Castleford Director of Rugby Chris Chester said.
"He's a player I know all our fans will be looking forward to watching in Super League, and I'm delighted we've been able to get this signing over the line.”
