Newcastle have re-signed Mat Croker to a two-year contract as they continue preparations for life without forward pack leader Leo Thompson.
Croker, 25, has played every game of a disappointing Knights NRL campaign so far and will now remain with the club through 2027.
The NSW mid-north coast product had been among a handful of Knights forwards without a deal for next season, when the club will lose talismanic prop Thompson to Canterbury.
Fellow middle forward options Adam Elliott and Jack Hetherington are both without deals and the Knights are yet to sign a prop of Thompson's ilk as his replacement.
Croker, typically used from the bench, had received interest from the English Super League before recommitting to the Knights.
"At his age and experience, the next three years of his career will be his best and we believe he will continue his development as a genuine NRL player," said head of recruitment Peter O'Sullivan.
