The Parramatta Eels have confirmed the re-signing of youngster Jordan Samrani on a new deal after he has impressed since he arrived from the Canterbury Bulldogs.
Initially joining the club on a train-and-trial contract, Samrani has agreed to a one-year contract extension, keeping him at Parramatta until at least the end of the 2027 NRL season.
Able to play in the back-row or in the back-line, he has appeared in nine first-grade matches since his debut earlier this year and has been one of the team's more underrated performers.
โJordan is a big man, predominantly an outside back who can also add versatility to our squad," Eels GM of Football Mark O'Neill said last year on Samrani.
โHe has already shown great promise and we're excited to see how he further develops within our program.โ
The confirmation of Samrani's re-signing comes one day after hooker Ryley Smith landed an upgraded contract extending his tenure at the club and being promoted to the Eels' Top 30 roster.
A member of the 2021 Australian Schoolboys team, Smith's rugby league journey began in the famed Penrith Panthers system, and he joined the Eels less than 18 months ago in the hope of new opportunities.
"I didn't think I'd have this opportunity this early, but I'm just trying to learn every day and take every day as it comes," Smith told Zero Tackle.
"I feel like as a team, we're going really well at the moment, so that's a big stepping stone for us going forward.
"I say to them [Dylan Brown and Mitchell Moses] a lot that I'm allowed to be a fan as well so I idolise all of them and even some of the hookers I've versed over the first seven rounds.
"In a bit of awe, to be honest, and it's really cool to run out with them every day.
"I definitely have a lot to work on. I think being a fresh sort of NRL player, I'm just taking it day by day and learning my craft as a hooker and watching all the other hookers and listening closely to our senior players and how I can get better."
