The Newcastle Knights have already announced the signature of Kai Pearce-Paul for 2024 and beyond, however the club is angling to have the utility forward on their hands a little earlier than that.
Despite losing Dominic Young to the Sydney Roosters next year, Newcastle are welcoming a Super League duo in Pearce-Paul and Will Pryce next season as the club looks to further bolster their roster.
However their recent injury toll has Adam O'Brien eager to welcome some fresh, and fit, faces into the playing squad, with less than 20 available players from their top 30 as it stands.
Newcastle lost their co-captains Jayden Brailey and Kalyn Ponga to concussion last week, with the latter likely a long-term affair, as well as losing Adam Elliott, Kurt Mann, Jack Johns, Tyson Frizell and Jacob Saifiti for the foreseeable future.
The club were forced to call upon NRL exemptions to have rookies Ryan Rivett and Thomas Cant cleared to play on Friday night.
While they can rely on exemptions to navigate them through this rocky period, The Daily Telegraph have revealed that Newcastle has reached out to the Wigan Warriors over a potential early release for Pearce-Paul.
The Super League club is reluctant to release the international, with the club a genuine chance of competing for a premiership this season.
The early move would give Pearce-Paul an opportunity to play alongside Young before he departs for Bondi at seasons end, after the duo roomed together during England's World Cup campaign.
