OFFICIAL Kai Pearce-Paul

https://www.weststigers.com.au/news...e-paul-to-join-wests-tigers-from-2026-season/
Signings

Kai Pearce-Paul to join Wests Tigers from 2026 season​

Author Wests Tigers
Timestamp Fri 6 Jun 2025, 10:35 AM

Wests Tigers are pleased to announce that Kai Pearce-Paul will join the club ahead of the 2026 season on a three-year deal.

The English international edge forward has played 32 NRL games for the Knights since joining Newcastle for the 2024 season and previously played 61 games for Wigan from 2020-23.


A Super League Grand Final winner in 2023, the towering forward stands at 6’6” and weighs 108 kg.

Pearce-Paul has impressed since making the move to Australia, with the 24-year-old possessing an imposing frame and skilful offloading ability.

His performances for the English national side include appearances at the 2022 World Cup and their successful Test series against Samoa in 2024.

Kai is delighted to commit his future to Wests Tigers.

"I am excited to join the Wests Tigers in 2026. It is a fantastic opportunity, and I cannot wait," said Pearce-Paul.

"I grew up watching Benji and have always looked up to him, so being coached by him will be pretty special."

Pearce-Paul has averaged 118 running metres and 40 tackles per match in 2025.

Wests Tigers CEO Shane Richardson was pleased to secure the back-rower’s services.

"Kai is a rising talent and already an international player with England. He’s also a quality person from a great family," said Richardson.

At just 24, he brings professionalism and talent, and we see him as an important part of our future.

Shane RichardsonWests Tigers CEO

Head Coach Benji Marshall believes Pearce-Paul will prove a great addition to the squad.

"Kai is a powerful, mobile forward who really suits what we’re building here," said Marshall.

"He’s not only a great athlete but also a great person, and he’ll bring strong qualities to our team.

"I’m really looking forward to coaching him and seeing the impact he’ll have on our squad.”

 

[poopy_diaper]

Who listens to the head knock??

Someone else who told me tbh.

 

[426Tlgerland]

Great start to his tigers deal
Defence was solid , big improvement on last year for us on that side.
Solid running game , we now have 2 solid running backrowers .
Newcastle loss , and inability to get KPP going on them , Benji already improved him .
Buy of the year

 

[tiger_one]

Kai Pearce-Paul scored 3 tries in 44 games at Newcastle Knights - and 2 in his first 34 minutes at Wests Tigers

 

[user118245]

James Graham didn't have him in top 10 signings.

He will be top 1 by years end.

Probably glazed him all ashes series tho

Seems strange with him being a fellow countryman

 

[Tim Sheens]

Has to be up there with one of the best debut performances in WT history

2 great tries but his yardage and defensive work was excellent too.

And without the offloading in traffic that is to come. I don’t watch anywhere near as much footy as I used to, still, even from my relatively limited viewing of KPP, his talent and skill was obviously being blunted long before Benji signed him.

He may not end up being this season's number 1 signing per @poopy_diaper above, but he will be thereabouts.

 

[Viva_Zapata]

Respect is earned.
It’s been a loooong time coming but that performance yesterday is the first real step towards this club finally earning its place amongst the rated teams.
Lots to still work on but that was different footy from us yesterday.
They we strong, fast and relentless. Even clinical at times. They turned more than a few heads Id suspect.

I don't think judging the best signings is based of historical respect, more about value for money and impact brought.

 

[mtd#2]

Seems strange with him being a fellow countryman

Tigers could win the comp and James Graham would still find something wrong with them and why the bulldogs are better.

 

[Odessa]

Tigers could win the comp and James Graham would still find something wrong with them and why the bulldogs are better.

James Graham is a drama queen trying to make things out which are not there it's more like story time instead of reporting

Fantastic NRLstory time with James Graham

 

[Rock Hopper Steve]

James Graham is a drama queen trying to make things out which are not there it's more like story time instead of reporting

Fantastic NRLstory time with James Graham

I reckon there's a part for him in movies if he was to audition that would suit him right down to the ground, he could play the arsehat.

 

[Camel2281]

Gotta say, KPP is starting to become one of my favourite players. I have a soft spot for poms - I even married one.

I married one too. I still despise them when the cricket or Union is on though

 

[tiger_one]

 

[Odessa]

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Benji seems to read players well

 

[Tucker]

I don't think judging the best signings is based of historical respect, more about value for money and impact brought.

I was responding to a previous post that was talking about how commentators like James Graham and Cooper Cronk don’t respect this club.

 

[426Tlgerland]

Tigers could win the comp and James Graham would still find something wrong with them and why the bulldogs are better.

James has issues , alcohol is one and head knocks is the other , could be why he has a bee about the tigers , hung over maybe , who cares , he was a good player but is crap pretend jurno , I can’t listen to him ,

 

[Halbrowne61]

He went well but was given a gap by Bula and chased a short kick by Luai close to the line.
Not knocking him but I want to see how he goes in a tough, backs to the wall fight. That’s where Gareth Ellis used to pull out something extra, I hope this Pom can do the same.
Interesting to look at the physiques of KPP and S.Fainu, very similar.

Interesting game coming up, better opposition, away on a ground we really haven’t had much success on ( limited games), night match after day, and no packed Tiger crowd.
It should reveal a lot about us moving forward, along with the 2 games after that, Wahs and Eels, both away.
Let’s see if we justify all this finals talk.

 

[Holman Barnes #1 Fan]

View attachment 35315

Newcastle 2025 were one of the worst attacking sides ever. They were full of offensive weapons all over the park yet none of them looked like they had met each other. Matty Johns talked a lot about KPP and how he was being coached wrong. Proof is there in the pudding with his debut for us.

 

[watersider]

Most of us were not excited by the signing. I was hoping for a solid dependable defensive player who gets through 80 minutes, sort of like Blore's role at the Storm. His performance yesterday was outstanding and he did so much more than that.

He did both the little gritty things and the flashy momentum changing plays. I liked just the way he took the hard hit ups, his talk in the defensive line, his speed off the line, his fitness. I didn't see him get tired.

He also runs through contact well, he is a big offload threat and he just read the play really well.

It's a long season, but that was a terrific first performance.

It's baffling how much better he looks here then he did at Newcastle.

 

[krissy]

I was responding to a previous post that was talking about how commentators like James Graham and Cooper Cronk don’t respect this club.

Cronk must have been choking yesterday to have to throw some praise in our direction.

 

[Tigerdazz2]

I did a side by side comparison in a post today of the 2005 & current squad's top 17, given each player a score then tallying up the scores and the two sides only had a fraction between them.

The 2005 squad just pips the current squad by a fraction taking into account I gave the 2005 side two 9.5s whilst the highest I scored a current player was a 9.

I had Makasini in for Toa, Skelton on the wing and Madden in the 14 ahead of Latu, the rest of the team was as run on in the win over the Cows.

Does this mean that the current squad could actually win the Grand Final? Theoretically YES, likely? Not necessarily, some of the teams today are better than the 2005 Cows, rules have changed & the game is faster.

So YES, this team is capable of winning this years premiership if they keep as injury free as possible, have reserves that are fit, first grade ready and they keep up the intensity, play to their strengths and have confidence without being over too overly confident (and they are big "ifs") though I sincerely believe 2026 will see Wests Tigers in the top 4 at least come Sept.

 

[Lestronge]

James Graham has no respect for WTs - given our recent history there is some validity. Not that it really matters what he thinks but hopefully there will be reason for him to change that point of view this season.
Cooper Cronk has been much the same - yesterday he actually showed some positivity.

I think he’s threatened . I think all the dogs people are. I’m 💯 convinced Gould went after Galvin because he lost , the Fainus , the May brothers , luai , turuva all in a row prior to that one. Every time we went in on a player and we competed with the dogs , we came out on top , since benji has taken over.
what we are experiencing now is peak bulldogs , and the tigers are just beginning. Also I heard Willie mason the other day say we won in 05 because they had an off year . They’re the one club that has always had this weird thing around them about being the family club. Yet they have a long history of doing the grubbiest shit on and off the field , all the way back to bullfrog Moore , and terry lamb sent out to take Hanley out of the game . I hate the dogs ,always have. Watched plenty of guys get rolled when they were peak disgusting when they played out of the gws ground . Grub fans , grub club , grub players .