BY JOHN DAVIDSON
Exclusive: St Helens have bolstered their forward pack with the signing of NRL back-rower Jacob Host for 2026.
Host is a free agent after departing South Sydney this month.
rugbyleaguehub.com Long Reads understands the second-rower will be joining Saints next season.
St Helens have been on the hunt for back-rowers with the departures of Morgan Knowles, James Bell and Joe Batchelor.
Host scored 11 tries in 119 appearances in his 10-year NRL career.
The 28-year-old debuted for St George Illawarra in 2016, making 51 appearances for the Dragons before joining Souths in 2021.
He played for the Bunnies in the 2021 NRL grand final and played 68 games in his five years for the club.
This year Host crossed for one try in his eight NRL games. He averaged 70 running metres per game and had a tackle efficiency of 91.4%.
In 2025 in the NSW Cup the forward also made eight appearances.
Castleford Tigers were close to signing Host midway through the year.
But with Souths battling to avoid the wooden spoon, the club declined to release him.
Host’s representatives have been aiming to land him a Super League contract for the past few months, with a deal now struck with St Helens.
Host hails from south-western Sydney and came through St George Illawarra’s pathway system. He represented the Australian Schoolboys in 2014 alongside Tom Amone, Latrell Mitchell and Luciano Leilua.