Las Vegas combine winner joins NRL club

Adam Brax
Marcus D’Acre

Marcus D’Acre in action for Queens University in Canada.

The Newcastle Knights have secured a promising international talent, signing Canadian Marcus D’Acre after he impressed at the NRL’s Las Vegas combine earlier this year.

The 20-year-old Hong Kong born combine winner arrived in Newcastle on Tuesday to begin his journey on the pathways system.

D’Acre has signed with the Knights through the end of 2026 and will begin his rugby league development in the Jersey Flegg Cup, the under-21 competition.

The versatile 194-centimeter athlete is expected to line up in the outside backs.

D’Acre is no stranger to the sport, arriving at the combine with a background in high-level rugby union, having already represented both Canada and Hong Kong on the international stage.

He has played rugby in both Singapore and New Zealand, and also qualifies for Australian eligibility though his Melbourne-born father, Nigel.

“Marcus has been on my radar for quite a while after I got a tip from former Dragons NRL player David Niu, who is based in the United States of America,” Knights head of recruitment Peter O’Sullivan said in a statement on Tuesday.

“He is a beautifully balanced athlete with speed and agility who can beat people.”

“Marcus also kicks goals at 85 per cent. While we understand it will take him some time to learn the game and the increased levels of physicality, we believe he has the tools to go on much further in the NRL,” O’Sullivan added.

“He will learn his trade in Jersey Flegg and an NRL off season will significantly help his development.”

Speaking to NRL.com after he and U.S. Olympic sevens standout Adam Channel were named the male winners of the 2025 Combine in Las Vegas, D’Acre said he saw the NRL as a long-term career path.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity, and to be play Jersey Flegg would be awesome,” D’Acre said.

“I am still developing and I’m still learning the game of rugby league.”

“I have played union all of my life and just from the small interactions we had with the Sharks there is still plenty to learn before taking on the big league, so I am just looking forward to absorbing as much information as possible and continuing to develop.”

The new recruit will continue to study his economics degree through Queen’s University in Canada, while adjusting to his new life on the Central Coast.

D’Acre’s contract will see him come in at AUD $1,200 per week, but half of that amount will be covered by NRL in the American talent initiative.

According to the league’s policy for development signings, the first year of his deal will not count toward the Knights’ salary cap.

The NRL combine in Las Vegas featured 50 aspiring players and coincided with the opening of the 2025 NRL and Super League seasons.

D’Acre was one of four winners named at the conclusion of the event, and one of only two men selected.

He is currently the only winner to have signed a professional deal.

The last combine success story, Liz Tafuna, previously signed with the NRLW’s Sydney Roosters but she departed before the 2024 season commenced.

“It’s an exciting initiative from the NRL and we thank them for the opportunity to help Marcus progress through the Knights pathways on his rugby league journey,” O’Sullivan said.

International Combine

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