Leeds Rhinos sign NRL journeyman for two years
He has previously played for the Panthers, Roosters, Storm, and Tigers.
Paul Momirovski, who won the championship with the Penrith Panthers in 2021, is headed to England to join the Leeds Rhinos in 2024.
Despite having a year left on his contract, he leaves the Sydney Roosters on good terms.
Leeds celebrated the signing, with CEO Gary Hetherington saying, “I am certainly looking forward to seeing Paul pull on the Rhinos shirt next season and really make a name for himself.”
Affectionately nicknamed ‘Momo’, it was always going to be difficult for Momirovski to remain at the star-studded Bondi club who appear set for their biggest roster clean-out in two decades.
Leeds head coach Rohan Smith expressed the impact Momirovski would have on the playing group.
“He is highly skilled with good footwork and someone who is a deep thinker on the game. He has great game awareness, especially with his work on defense, and is a big communicator on the field for whichever team he has been in,” he said.
Momirovski echoed the excitement at shifting to the Rhinos, explaining that his Rugby League philosophies ‘aligned’ with those of Smith’s and that he had a lot to learn.
“I can’t wait to play in front of the packed stadiums, the atmosphere looks insane,” Momirovski said.
Momirovski, a former Junior Kangaroos representative, has appeared in 60 NRL games. He has NRL finals experience with the Roosters and Storm, as well as being a member of the 2019 Prime Ministers XIII squad, in addition to a premiership with the Panthers in 2021.
Momirvoski plans to marry in December before beginning his Super League career.
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Are you understated or underrated? Why does Cleary rarely appear in debates about coaching greats?
Just two years ago, leading into the 2021 grand final, Ivan Cleary was being mentioned in unflattering terms alongside Brian Smith.
Then, Cleary’s record of 369 premiership games for no premiership rings ranked behind only Smith’s 601 matches coached without a title, unfair as the boiling down of a career to one triumph may seem.
Cleary, who is currently only 80 minutes away from a third straight title, will be featured with Craig Bellamy, Trent Robinson, and Wayne Bennett as the most successful coaches in NRL history. After all, no coach has won three consecutive championships in as many attempts since Jack Gibson.
“He should be spoken about like that, but for whatever reason, he isn’t,” Panthers co-captain Isaah Yeo said of Cleary.
“He’s extremely calm and extremely intelligent, but he probably doesn’t get the credit he deserves.” But believe me, he gets them within these four walls.
“I don’t know why. He’s a really quiet guy who doesn’t put himself out there too much. He says nothing that would ruffle feathers.
