After being granted a release by the Penrith Panthers, Kaide Ellis has signed with the St George Illawarra Dragons.
The deal is for the remainder of the 2020 season and boosts the Dragons forward stocks.
Ellis, a former NYC and NSW Cup premiership winner, has played in eight NRL games to date.
With the chance to sign elsewhere, the Panthers were not about to stand in Ellis’ way.
“Kaide was presented with the opportunity to immediately secure a regular NRL role at another club,” Panthers General Manager Matt Cameron said.
“We believe he has earned the right to pursue that opportunity.
“Kaide has given the Panthers club great service over a number of years and we wish him the best of luck with his future endeavours.”
The Dragons look forward to having Ellis on board and have heard good things about him.
“Kaide is a very formidable figure and has been a standout in the Canterbury Cup over the past few seasons,” Dragons director of rugby league pathways and list management Ian Millward said.
“All the while, he has always being on the periphery of first grade selection.
“Kaide comes with high credentials in regard to his attitude and work ethic and will be a good inclusion to our squad character-wise.