The Eels have reportedly secured veteran hooker Josh Hodgson for the 2023 season, ending their search for a hooker after losing Reed Mahoney to the Bulldogs.
The England international is set to sign a two-year deal and will provide leadership and experience to the club, having been a crucial figure in the Raiders set up over the past seven years.
The signing will mark a rare incoming for the Eels according to The Daily Telegraph, after a raft of key players signing elsewhere.
Bailey Simonsson is also set for a return to Sydney, reportedly inking a three-year deal with Parramatta which will begin immediately, with the Raiders contributing to his salary for next season and 2023.
The young outside back’s departure could make way for a return for Nick Cotric to the nation’s capital after only one season at the Bulldogs according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
The first outgoing Eel was Isaiah Papali’i, who rejected Parramatta’s offers and signed with the Wests Tigers from 2023, while Reed Mahoney took the cash from the Bulldogs to join the club’s new wave of recruits.
Marata Niukore is also on the move, joining the Warriors from 2023 on a lucrative four-year deal.
Hodgson made the move to the nation’s capital after a spell with Hull in the English Super League before guiding the Raiders to a grand final in 2019, eventually losing to the Roosters.
The move could start a chain of signings, with the Raiders potentially looking elsewhere for hooking options if they don’t see Tom Starling as the natural replacement.
Story first published on Fox Sports Australia