MATTY LEES will fulfil a long-held dream to play in the NRL when he joins the Papua New Guinea Chiefs in 2028.
The England prop, who is expected to miss the rest of this season following knee surgery, will have one more year with St Helens before becoming part of the Chiefs’ first NRL squad.
Appointed Saints captain ahead of this season, Lees had a clause in his current deal – which was meant to run until 2029 – allowing him to leave for an NRL contract from the end of next year.
He will join the new PNG franchise to be led by current Hull KR head coach Willie Peters, following the signatures of NRL record try-scorer Alex Johnston, four-time Premiership winner Jarome Luai and New South Wales utility Connor Watson.
Lees, who is in his testimonial year having made the first of his 199 St Helens appearances in 2017, said: “The last ten years playing for this club have meant absolutely everything to me.
“Sometimes in life, when an opportunity comes, you have to take it on. Playing in the NRL has been a dream of mine for a very long time, and the opportunity that has been presented to my family and me is one that I could not turn away from.”
Lees, 28, has so far won four Super League titles, a Challenge Cup and a World Club Challenge with St Helens.
And he added: “I still have another season to play here, and my focus remains on doing everything I can to help bring more success and silverware to this great club.”
Saints chairman Eamonn McManus said of the twelve-times capped England forward: “He has won every honour with us and will go down as a legend of the club.
“I’m sure that he will carry on in that vein when he recovers from injury and that he will be giving absolutely everything, as only he knows how to, in the 2027 season.
“Matty has had an ambition to play in the NRL for some time, and we respect that, particularly after so many years of putting his body on the line for us.
“He had an NRL break clause in his existing contract for 2028, and he has shown respect to us by honouring his contractual obligations to the full.
“We will wish him and his family every success in his new adventure in Papua New Guinea when the time comes, but that is clearly some time away yet.
“There is much, much more for Matty to achieve with the Saints before then, and I’m confident that he will.”