Wakefield Trinity beat off NRL competition to bag ‘statement’ international signing

Wakefield Trinity have announced the signing of Manly Sea Eagles forward Jazz Tevaga from next season. The Samoa international has penned a two-year deal with the West Yorkshire outfit and that ensures he will be with Wakefield until the end of the 2027 season.

He joins Brisbane Broncos’ Tyson Smoothy in moving from the NRL to Wakefield, with Trinity claiming to have beaten off competition from Down Under for the signing of Tevaga, who can play in a number of positions.

The 29-year-old has spent much of this season in the hooker role for Manly but he has started four games at loose-forward and he can even play as a prop. In fact, he has split his time fairly evenly between the number nine and 13 roles over his NRL career, which got underway in 2016 at New Zealand Warriors.

Tevaga made 138 appearances for the Warriors, scoring nine tries before moving on to join the Sea Eagles at the end of the 2024 campaign. He’s due to make his 16th outing of the season this weekend when Manly play South Sydney Rabbitohs on Sunday.

“I’m really excited to be joining Wakefield Trinity and to take this next step in my career,” Tevaga said after agreeing to make the move to Belle Vue. “The club has a strong vision for the future and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be a part of it. I can’t wait to get over there and get stuck in with the brothers”

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Wakefield Trinity boss reacts to Jazz Tevaga signing

Speaking of his latest recruit, Daryl Powell said: “We are delighted to capture Jazz for the next two years. He is a high quality high energy player who will add to our quality pack as we move into our second season in Super League.

“Everyone we have spoken to has been glowing about how tough and how much of a leader Jazz is. I look forward to working with a genuine NRL player in his prime”

Wakefield’s recruitment manager Ste Mills added: “We’re absolutely delighted to have secured a player of Jazz Tevaga’s quality. He’s proven himself at the highest level in the NRL, and his toughness, leadership, and relentless attitude are exactly what we want at Wakefield Trinity.

“This is a statement signing for us — Jazz brings real bite through the middle and sets a standard that lifts everyone around him. We believe he’ll be a huge influence both on and off the field as we continue to build something special here.”