ENGLAND international Morgan Smithies will be a Perth Bears player from 2027 onwards, according to reports in Australia.
The forward is said to have signed a three-year deal with the NRL’s newest franchise, bringing an end to a three-year stay with Canberra Raiders.
The Bears have already signed fellow Englishmen Mikolaj Oledzki, Harry Newman and James McDonnell, all from Leeds Rhinos, from next season.
Earlier in the year, it had been reported that Smithies was on the verge of committing his future to the Raiders, taking him off the market.
But now that is not the case as the Bears get their man – and they have secured Parramatta Eels veteran Junior Paulo for next season as well.
Smithies has registered 66 appearances for the Raiders since making the move to the NRL ahead of the 2024 season, scoring one try.
Prior to his move to the Australian capital, he had made 114 appearances for Wigan Warriors in Super League and has been capped three times by England.
Ahead of their NRL debut season, Mal Meninga-coached Perth announced the signing on Monday of Wakefield Trinity hooker Tyson Smoothy.
Also set to join from the European game are halfback Toby Sexton from Catalans Dragons and the London Broncos forward pair of Emarly Bitungane and Luke Smith.
Big-name signings include Penrith Panthers’ Liam Henry, Nick Meaney from Melbourne Storm, and Gehamat Shibasaki, who was part of Brisbane’s title-winning squad last year alongside Smoothy.