Dylan Lucas and his management team have told the Newcastle Knights they’re in no rush to speak on an extension, with the boom second rower deciding to toss up his options before putting pen to paper on any new long-term deal.
The Knights have been left a little worried by the stance, especially considering Lucas has long been earmarked as a future club captain by many in the Hunter. He’s currently signed through to the end of 2027, meaning he can speak to rivals from November 1.
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There’s been no specific indication that Lucas wants to speak to any of the other NRL clubs that would be interested in his services, though he may now wait until the offseason to see what deals are out there.
One big hinge is that Lucas backs himself to go beyond his current level and may want to prove that through 2026 before talking about money.
The 25-year-old signed a two-year extension with the Knights in 2024 following his breakout season in red and blue, before the club then won the wooden spoon in 2025. Lucas continued to be good, but dropped out of the Prime Minister’s XIII and missed other rep teams.
There’s also been some whispers that Lucas wants to move back closer to Bega, where he’s originally from. That would firmly put the Melbourne Storm and St George Illawarra Dragons in hot contention for his signature, considering the southern New South Wales town has flight options to both Wollongong and Melbourne that take less than an hour each.
It is worth noting that famed Newcastle insider Barry Toohey said Lucas’ stance “doesn’t mean he is going to wait until Nov 1 to test the market,” but if he plays up like 2024, he could well wait for bigger cash approaches.
“Knights inquired about kicking off negotiations, but we’re told he’s not ready yet,” Toohey added.
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Newcastle also has a whole host of other extension talks to worry about for the time being, too. Bradman Best, Dominic Young, Jermaine McEwen and captain Kalyn Ponga are all able to speak to NRL rivals from November, and this Sporting Base writer can only imagine the Hunter’s powerbrokers really want to keep all four in the squad long-term.
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The Knights, as a group, have started red-hot in 2025, with Lucas among the strong early-season players. Newcastle, now led by Justin Holbrook, are floating around the top of the table after the first month of the season.
They will next play the Raiders at home on Easter Sunday in what should be a sell-out in the Hunter.
