Exciting nib Newcastle Knights prospect Simi Sasagi has extended his contract.
The 17-year-old has been rewarded with a new deal following an impressive pre-season training stint with the first-grade squad.
A five-eighth with versatility, the New Zealand product is signed until the end of 2020 with an option for a further two seasons.
Meet: Simi Sasagi
"He's a talented player on the field and a wonderful person off it," Player List Manager Troy Pezet said.
"Although Simi is only young, he's taken everything that's been thrown his way. He's shown us enough that we wanted to secure him long-term."
After playing the 2018 season with SG Ball, Sasagi started training with Jersey Flegg before progressing to ISP NSW and ultimately promoted to the NRL training squad.
It's been a rapid rise for the youngster but one he's relishing.
"I'm lucky to have a few weeks of first grade training under my belt," Sasagi said.
"I moved over from New Zealand last year for SG Ball pre-season and now I'm training with the NRL squad.
"It's a pretty overwhelming feeling that the Club sees something in me.
"I just need to put my head down and do the hard work."
Heading into his final year of High School at St Marys Gateshead, the playmaker moved to Australia earlier this year.
While he's predominantly played five-eighth, Sasagi can fill a range of roles.
"He's a footy player," Pezet said.
"He could be anything. At this stage, we're just keen to see him develop and worry about where he'll play down the track."
