Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has called upon the Newcastle Knights to re-sign Dane Gagai amid reports of a pay dispute between the representative player and his club.
Still without a contract for the 2026 NRL season after the Knights declined the option in his deal to extend his services, Gagai’s future remains clouded in uncertainty.
Although he was initially keen to remain in the Hunter region, The Newcastle Herald reported last week that he was considering walking out on the Knights after being told he would need to take a pay cut of $100,000 if he wanted to remain at the club.
Entering the final stages of his career, Gagai showed on the weekend against the Canberra Raiders that he still has what it takes to play in the NRL.
While it is speculated that his management has entered talks with two rival NRL teams, opposing coach Ricky Stuart has called upon the Knights to re-sign the former representative outside back.
“You look at Dane Gagai and he’d be the first player I would re-sign,” Stuart said after his Raiders defeated the Knights on Sunday.
“He was by far the hungriest, best player out there tonight. He just never stopped trying. That builds teams.”
Switching from the centres to fullback, he was easily the Knights’ best player on Sunday and took apart the Raiders’ defence in the first half before finishing the encounter with 12 tackle busts, two line-break assists, one try assist and 142 running metres.
“I’ve been taken for granted because they didn’t think I’d move my family again,” Gagai told The Newcastle Herald last week.
“The disrespect is the biggest thing. I know Adz [coach Adam O’Brien] still wants me around. He’s made me captain, so I must be doing something right.”
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