St Helens confirm Joey Lussick to return to NRL; Super League club to receive undisclosed transfer fee

St Helens have confirmed that Joey Lussick has played his final game for the club, with the hooker set to make a return to the NRL immediately.

The Super League champions have announced that an agreement has been reached with an NRL club, widely linked to be Parramatta Eels, for an undisclosed transfer fee that will see Lussick return to Australia.

Lussick’s final game for Saints came in Saturday’s 12-10 defeat to Leigh Leopards in the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup, in which he scored a try and kicked an impressive 40/20.

St Helens say Lussick departs with ‘the best wishes of everyone at the club’ and that they have been ‘working on’ a suitable replacement to join the squad immediately, which is also reported to be St George Illawarra Dragons utility Moses Mbye.

Lussick made 52 appearances for Saints, helping them win last year’s Super League Grand Final as well as the World Club Challenge earlier this year.

Joey Lussick departs St Helens with the club’s best wishes

The statement in full from St Helens read: “St Helens R.F.C. can confirm that an agreement has been reached with an NRL club for an undisclosed transfer fee which will see Joey Lussick return home to Australia and leave Saints immediately.

“As revealed by head coach Paul Wellens following the Saints’ Challenge Cup semi-final defeat to Leigh Leopards, the hooker has played his final game for St Helens, and he leaves with the best wishes of everyone at the club.

“The Saints have been working on a suitable replacement for Lussick to join the squad immediately, and details on this player will be confirmed in due course.

“In his time at the Totally Wicked Stadium, Lussick helped the Red V secure the League Leaders’ Shield and the Super League title at Old Trafford in his first season, and earlier this year was part of the team that made history by beating Penrith Panthers to win the World Club Challenge.

“Despite having the rest of this and next season to run on his contract, Lussick now returns home to Australia to join an NRL club.

“Lussick leaves the club having made 52 match appearances, scoring 11 tries and kicking 7 goals.

“The Saints would like to thank Joey for his efforts as a St Helens player, and we wish him the very best for the future.”

READ NEXT: Faye Gaskin produces stunning clutch play to St Helens to the Challenge Cup final at Wembley