The Newcastle Knights are in real danger of losing homegrown young gun Jesse Southwell as soon as the end of the year, with the Brisbane Broncos very interested in signing her as the club’s long-term halfback.
The blockbuster move, which was first reported by for the Daily Telegraph, has put the rest of the league on red alert, considering how strong the Broncos already are.
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Southwell is signed with the Knights through to 2027, but currently carries player options in her deal for the next two years – meaning she could feasibly leave the Hunter at the end of the current campaign as a free agent. The Sporting Base understands that’s the most likely possibility, as it stands.
Brisbane’s very keen and would love to plug Southwell in over five-eighth Gayle Broughton.
#NRL whispers 🔵🔴🛡️ @NRLKnights now face losing home-grown young gun Jesse Southwell to the @BrisbaneBroncos next year
Southwell has two options for 2026 and 2027, and may take up Broncos' offer over activating them
Read all the #NRL news on TSB's app: https://t.co/ksSjfZgBH4 pic.twitter.com/dOq8BuFL2x
— The Sporting Base – NRL (@BaseNrl) August 20, 2025
No surprise why either: A northern swap for Southwell would set the Broncos up as an out-and-out title threat every season alongside the already near-unstoppable Sydney Roosters, who lead the comp undefeated right now.
The Knights are firmly third in the modern NRLW triumvirate, but would fall away without their seven.
And, the Broncos would likely leapfrog the Broncos; Southwell is undoubtedly the game’s best halfback right now.
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The Knights are adamant they don’t want Southwell to leave, telling Renee Valentine at the Newcastle Herald as much this week, but with Southwell holding the power with her POs, the Hunter organisation would be powerless to keep her beyond 2025 if the 20-year-old actually wants to leave her home team.
“We would like to keep her here longer term, and the discussions have been positive and promising. The agent hasn’t provided me with any negative feedback on the club,” Parr told the Herald on Monday.
“But somebody of her profile and status in our game is always going to attract attention.”
That status only compounded when a breakout young Southwell (and then Knights fullback Tamika Upton) led Newy to two titles. Then Southwell was a leading figure in New South Wales’ two games to one State of Origin victory in 2025, where she coughed up several gamebreaking performances in the sky blue.
For now, though, everything rests on whether she wants more trophies or to stay at her home club.
