HALIFAX PANTHERS have made Jesse Soric, a 20-year-old Australian halfback or fullback who has been in both the New Zealand Warriors and Gold Coast Titans systems, their eighth close-season signing.

His recruitment on a two-year deal has been aided by existing Shay star David Nofoaluma, the former Wests Tigers and Samoa back who has played alongside him for the Serbia national team.

Much-travelled Soric has made four appearances for Serbia, having taken his first steps with Byron Bay Devils at the north-eastern tip of New South Wales and the Rugby League-renowned Keebra Park High School, 50 miles away in Gold Coast, Queensland.

Having been in the Titans’ Northern Rivers development programme, he spent 2024 with New Zealand Warriors, playing in their SG Ball (Under

19) and Jersey Flegg (Under 21) teams before penning a two-year Gold Coast contract.

After catching the eye in the NRLQ Under 20 competition introduced last season, Soric has left halfway through that deal to join Halifax, where he will get his first taste of senior club rugby.

The Panthers are aiming to build on a fourth-placed Championship finish in Kyle Eastmond’s first season in charge (the coach is pictured), and have also added backs Darius Carter (from Huddersfield Giants), Alfie Johnson (Warrington Wolves), Myles Lawford (on loan from Wakefield Trinity) and Tanguy Zenon (Catalans Dragons), centre/secondrow Bayley Liu (Bradford Bulls) and forwards Ben Forster (Oldham) and Dan Okoro (Warrington).

Soric’s arrival will help make up for the loss of Louis Jouffret and James Woodburn-Hall, who are both with French side Avignon.

“I knew a little bit about the club because I played with David Nofoaluma for Serbia, so when he signed last season, I watched a bit of footage,” he said.

“So when the opportunity came to come over, I was all in. Speaking to Kyle, obviously he was a halfback, so it’s big for me to come here and learn from him. A big reason I wanted to come to the UK was to learn as much as I can.”