LEIGH LEOPARDS forward Owen Trout has reportedly signed a two-year deal with NRL side Cronulla Sharks.
That’s according to The Daily Telegraph which has claimed that the Perth Bears had also shown an interest in the 26-year-old, but the Sharks now have their man.
Trout will be the first Sharks signing from England since Jeff Grayshon and David Eckersley in 1977.
The England international has become one of the most sought-after forwards in the competition after enjoying a meteoric rise under the tutelage of Adrian Lam at Leigh.
That has seen Trout come into the sights of rival Super League sides as well as those in the southern hemisphere.
The 26-year-old previously revealed interest from both sides of the world, telling League Express: “I’ve thought about the NRL but it’s mostly just been a thought. Obviously once I started playing well, I started getting linked to the NRL a little bit.
“I have been talking to a few clubs over there, it’s all very surreal but it’s dependent on where would be best.
“I have also been speaking to a few Super League clubs.”
But Cronulla have stolen a march on NRL and Super League clubs.