Penrith have announced that controversial St George Illawarra five-eighth Jamie Soward will join the NRL club on a four-year contract from next season.
The deal will take the 28-year-old former NSW pivot through to the end of 2017 with the Panthers.
Soward has played 134 games with the Dragons since moving from the Sydney Roosters in 2007 and is the club’s all-time leading point-scorer.
His form of 2011 earned him State of Origin selection in all three games for the Blues, while he’s also an accomplished goal-kicker.
“Jamie Soward is a marquee signing for the Panthers club,” said Panthers general manager Phil Gould in a statement.
“He is a tremendous talent, proven at the highest levels of our game. He also brings with him great experience and leadership qualities.
“Jamie is an outstanding role model for the youth of western Sydney and his obvious popularity with the kids makes him a perfect ambassador for our club’s community and junior league programs”.
Soward was involved in a heated exchange with Wests Tigers skipper Robbie Farah during last Sunday’s clash at the SCG after allegedly making a comment about the hooker’s late mother.