The Cronulla Sharks, who added zero players to their roster for 2026, have made their first recruitment move in more than a year by adding English international forward Owen Trout for 2027.
An experienced figure, Trout, who is now 26 years old, will become the first English player at the Sharks in more than half a century.
"Owen's style of play is well suited for success in the NRL and we believe he is at the right stage of his career to make the move," Sharks general manager of football Darren Mooney said of the signing.
"He still has a job to do at Leigh, and our focus is firmly on the current NRL season, but we look forward to welcoming him to the club in due course."
The Leigh Leopards forward has played 124 matches in the Super League, with stints previously at the Leeds Rhinos and Huddersfield Giants.
It's anticipated the Sharks will make a number of signings heading into 2027 with a squad refresh expected.
While the club's salary cap is on the brink, they are likely to lose a number of players at the end of the year led by Sione Katoa, Jesse Ramien and Cameron McInnes, paving the way for a number of new signings.
There is also concern around the speed of the Sharks squad, leading to a potentially larger refresh than they need to make with double-digit players off-contract at the end of 2026.
Trout brings excellent versatility for the Sharks, able to play in the middle or on the edge, and made his international debut during the 2025 Ashes Series against Australia.
They are going to need more than Mr. British Trout to turn their club around.
I know nothing about Mr Trout, but if he is a big, heavy, slow guy, then they may as well keep their existing bunch of big, heavy, slow guys like Uele, Tuku Hau Tapua, Rudolph, Kaufusi etc.