South Sydney have offered an NRL lifeline to free agent Adam Elliott, the veteran forward signing in 2026 for the Rabbitohs on a one-year deal.
The 31-year-old suffered an arm injury with Newcastle in round 12, ending his campaign last year. His contract was not renewed by the Knights at the end of the season.
Elliott has played 173 NRL games since making his debut for Canterbury Bulldogs against Manly in 2016 and also had a season with Canberra before landing in Newcastle.
Souths' head of recruitment Mark Ellison said Elliott would add experience and depth to their forwards ranks.
"Adam has been a consistent performer at the NRL level for a decade now and we feel he will add experience and create more depth within our forwards stocks this season," Ellison said.
"He is renowned as a hardworking and aggressive forward, a punishing defender, and he has a reputation as a leader of men and a player that teammates want to play with."
Souths recently suffered a blow when Kangaroos star Keaon Koloamatangi signed a five-year deal with St George Illawarra Dragons from next year.
Wayne Bennett's men were ravaged by injury last season with captain Cameron Murray, Latrell Mitchell, Cody Walker and Campbell Graham all enduring lengthy spells on the sidelines, leading to the Rabbits' 14th-placed finish.
But all are expected to return and join Elliott, who represented the Indigenous All Stars in 2019 and 2024, as well as Country Origin in 2017.
