Veteran ex-NRL and Super League stalwart makes League 1 switch for 2026

The show goes on for former NRL and Super League stalwart Junior Sa’u, who has agreed a deal to join Rochdale Hornets for the upcoming 2026 campaign.

Ex-New Zealand and Samoa international Sa’u – who will turn 39 in April – made his first-grade bow Down Under back in 2008 for Newcastle Knights.

Having also gone on to represent Melbourne Storm, the centre amassed 90 NRL appearances before heading to the UK and linking up with Salford Red Devils in 2014.

He has been in the British game since, and now joins Rochdale after a four-season stint with fellow League 1 outfit Keighley Cougars.

Veteran ex-NRL and Super League stalwart Junior Sa’u makes League 1 switch for 2026

Ōtāhuhu native Sa’u has made more than 300 first-grade appearances at club level alone, donning a shirt for both Wakefield Trinity and Leigh in Super League as well as Salford.

As he joins the Hornets, who finished sixth in League 1 this year, the 38-year-old will also take up a new community outreach role aiming to increase and strengthen the club’s presence in local schools.

Sa’u said: “It’s really exciting for me to take on this new challenge.

“Throughout my career, I’ve loved challenges, it’s what has kept me going. I’m grateful for the opportunity to keep playing the sport I’ve loved since being a little kid.

“I’ve always been a professional, on and off the pitch as well. I pride myself on keeping fit and feel like I’ve still got plenty to give.

“I’ve never lost my drive to compete at a high level, and I’m looking forward to the next chapter in my career with this great club.”

‘He’s still a fantastic athlete who is addicted to training and in remarkable shape… This is a great signing for us on a number of levels’

With his international appearance tally sat in double figures, Sa’u’s career has also seen him make a brief switch to union, playing for American outfit Old Glory DC.

Providing all goes to plan, Sa’u and Rochdale will form part of a 21-team league next season, with the Championship and League 1 set to merge into one division.

Full details of that merger, including the name of the newly-formed division, are still to be confirmed by the RFL.

Hornets chairman Andy Mazey added: “Junior is a big name with a wealth of NRL and Super League experience, and is well-known for being a consummate professional.

“Without a doubt, he is a good fit for us as we look to significantly improve standards and the culture at the club in 2026.

“With the retirement of three senior professionals, (head coach) Gary Thornton was keen to add some experience to the group, and Junior has played in some big games during his career for some of the greatest coaches in the world.

“Having done our homework and gotten to know him through the process of recruiting him, it’s evident that he’s still a fantastic athlete who is addicted to training and in remarkable shape.

“I’m really excited to see him in a Rochdale Hornets shirt. This is a great signing for us on a number of levels.”