St George Illawarra have officially confirmed the signing of experienced Dolphins playmaker Kodi Nikorima on a two-year deal beginning in 2027.
As first reported by ESPN on Tuesday, Nikorima will join the Dragons from next season and remain with the club through until the end of 2028.
The confirmation adds another experienced option to a dramatically revamped Dragons spine, with Scott Drinkwater and Luke Metcalf also set to arrive at the club in 2027.
Nikorima, who can play in the halves or at hooker, has made more than 230 NRL appearances across spells with Brisbane, the Warriors, the Rabbitohs and the Dolphins.
Dragons star Dylan Egan admitted he was excited by the signing, with a brighter 2027 season firmly in sight.
"I think the first I heard about it would have been from your [Isaac Issa] post yesterday arvo," Egan admitted.
"It's exciting for the club that we're getting players that want to come and play for us."
The Dragons have been among the competition's most aggressive clubs in the recruitment market, with Nikorima joining Drinkwater, Metcalf, Keaon Koloamatangi, Phillip Sami and Connor Watson among their incoming additions.
Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf said the club tried to keep Nikorima, who had transformed himself from a utility player to one of the form starting five-eighths at the Dolphins.
"While I am sad to see him leave I understand the circumstances," Woolf said.
"He has been able to put himself in a position at the back-end of his career that he gets to maximise the efforts he has put in over the last four years with us.
"We were keen to keep Kodi. We made that clear all along. At some stage of his career he has to do what is best for his family as well.
"That's part of the game and part of our role at times, to help him get to that position."
