A forward with 15 international caps has become the latest player to take the well-established path from one Super League side to a Championship one.
Several players have made the move from York Knights to Newcastle Thunder this off-season and Italian international Brenden Santi is the latest to do so.
Santi was off-contract with the Knights but no formal announcement was made about his future, however, he did not feature in the club’s squad number reveal earlier this week, effectively confirming his exit.
Now, Newcastle have announced that he has signed with them making him the seventh player to leave York Knights since their promotion to Super League and sign with the North East outfit in the Championship.
Santi, who started his career in England with Thunder, will have lots of familiar faces at Newcastle as all of Bailey Antrobus, Sam Cook, Jude Ferreira, Myles Harrison, Joe Law and Brad Ward have taken the path of leaving York ahead of their 2026 Super League campaign and signing with Thunder.
Santi becomes latest to leave Super League side for Thunder
Santi first signed with Newcastle back in 2020, making just five appearances in his first spell with the club which ended when he signed with Keighley and then York.
The 32-year-old made 47 appearances for the Cougars and then 67 for the Knights and he now arrives back at Newcastle to bring plenty of experience to Graham Steadman’s side.
That was something Newcastle emphasised when announcing his arrival, stating: “His return to Thunder ahead of 2026 adds a seasoned Championship campaigner to Graham Steadman’s squad and reinforces Newcastle’s ambitions as they look to establish themselves firmly in the second tier.”
Steadman said: “Santi’s experience from the NRL with Wests Tigers to key roles in League One and the Championship will be vital as the club as we push for consistency and competitiveness next season.”
Check out the latest episode of The Serious About Rugby League Show on our YouTube channel here.
Newcastle Thunder can confirm forward Brenden Santi has returned to Newcastle Thunder ahead of the 2026 Betfred Championship season, re-joining the club where he first made his mark in the English game.
READ IN FULL > https://t.co/7hlviZmHii pic.twitter.com/NMJoxwj1B3
— Newcastle Thunder (@ThunderRugby) January 14, 2026
