Butchers’ big coup: NRL star Brent Naden signs with Thirroul for 2026 season

Tallon Smith

The Thirroul Butchers have made one of the biggest recruiting coups of the 2026 pre-season after signing Wests Tigers outside back Brent Naden for the upcoming Illawarra Rugby League campaign.

A veteran of 80 NRL games and a premiership winner with Penrith in 2021, Naden joins the Butchers after seven seasons in the big time with the Panthers, Bulldogs and Tigers.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Battlers For Bush Footy, Naden said that he is looking forward to returning to grassroots footy with the Butchers next season.

“I’m looking forward to it, excited to still get to play a little bit of football,” he said.

“I’m just looking forward to going back and having a bit of fun and enjoying the football, bush football is a pretty tough sort of football.

“It helps that I know a few of the boys from previous years, and I’m excited to meet new blokes and hopefully go good this season.

“[I’m] just excited to lace up the boots and have a bit of fun, go back to enjoying my football again.”

Brent Naden playing for the Tigers reserves, Wests Magpies, in the NSW Cup (*Photo: Scott Morris*)

After seven years in the NRL, the Wellington Cowboys product returns to bush footy having been a part of a variety of teams, from the all-conquering Panthers to the rebuilding Tigers.

When asked if he is sad to be leaving the top level of the game, Naden said while leaving mates behind at the Tigers will be the toughest part, he is excited for the next chapter of his career at the Butchers.

“I’m more excited for what lies ahead more than sad [about] what I’m leaving behind,” he said.

“I’d probably say excitement gets me more, because I’m more excited for what lies ahead for me and my family.

“I still keep in contact with a lot of the boys, so I’m not really sad that I’m leaving the league, I’m more sad that I’m leaving a few of the mateships behind, [and that] I don’t get to see little Heath Mason every single day.”

Naden’s signing straight out of the NRL is huge news for the Butchers and the whole Illawarra competition, especially given the competition for his services.

Naden told Battlers For Bush Footy that while there were other offers he gave thought to, including from European clubs, he ultimately made the decision he thought was best for his young family.

“We weighed up all options, and I didn’t know if we really wanted to go [and] there was a couple of other things,” he said.

“I just wanted to get on with my life outside of football, I’ve got two little kids now and I just want to spend a lot more time with them and free up the spare time that I did have.”

As for how he is settling in at his new club, Naden said he has met with fellow key recruit, former Wynnum Manly and Ipswich Queensland Cup player Luke Maddaford, as well as Butchers premiership coach Jarrod Costello.

“I met Maddo once, went down and had lunch with him and Jacko [Jarrod Costello] and we’re excited for what lies ahead,” he said.

“Jacko’s got a premiership under his belt and he knows bush footy better than anyone, and I’m excited to play under him.”

Naden was a part of the Panthers’ premiership side in 2021 as 18th man (*Photo: Scott Morris*)

Thirroul Butchers coach Jarrod Costello said that the signing of Naden is an exciting one for the club.

“We’ve met Brent and his family a couple of times, and they seem like great people and he’s really engaged and looking forward to playing for the Butchers,” he said.

“It’s been really well received from our community and our existing players to have someone of Brent’s experience coming on board.”

After fielding a younger side this season compared to previous years, the Butchers are in a rebuilding phase as they graduate club juniors to the first grade arena in one of the toughest competitions in the state.

With this in mind, Costello said that part of the reason behind signing Naden was his experience at the top level of the game, which will be crucial to guiding some of the younger players through the season.

“He’s been at some good clubs, he was obviously there when the Panthers dynasty started so he’s been around really good coaches and players, he’s spent some time at the Bulldogs as well, so hopefully he can bring that [knowledge],” he said.

“I guess that’s what you’re after when you get someone out of the NRL to come to you, you try and get that training attitude and that training intensity, that’s one thing that I’ve found that is really different obviously at that level to a local level.

“I’m really hoping that he can help guide our young guys with how they train and prepare and on game day how he remains composed and the like.”

Maddaford and Naden pose for a photo after signing with the Butchers (*Photo: Facebook*)

As for the Butchers’ young core, there are still more rising stars to join the club heading into the new season, with Jordan McGrath and Logan Clinch joining the Butchers from Shire club Bosco Bulldogs, and former Jersey Flegg players Ramses Munro and Harrison Hood also moving to Thirroul in 2026.

With all of this talent, alongside the club’s local juniors, a strong core is forming, with Costello telling Battlers For Bush Footy that the signings of Naden and former Queensland Cup star Maddaford are designed to help the young side develop alongside some elite players.

“We had a really young side last year and we weren’t too far off the mark, [we] had a lot of close losses,” he said.

“We’ve been able to keep those guys, so [they] are another 12 months older and they’ve played a year in first grade.

“To add someone like Brent and obviously Luke Maddaford from the Queensland Cup, we just thought we needed some experienced players to help our young guys over the next few years.

“We’ve been really lucky, had some great under 18s sides, they’ve won a couple of Grand Finals and they’ve been really strong.

“Those guys are now coming into grade, but it’s too difficult of a competition to have 15 of your 17 players being young, you need a couple more experienced guys and that’s what we’ve done with the acquisition of Brent and Luke, [we’re] just trying to get some experience around our young guys to help them develop.”

There are also short term benefits to the signings of Naden and Maddaford heading into the 2026 campaign.

While the centres are a key position in any competition, Costello said that finding strong defenders out wide is even more critical in the Illawarra League, with other teams stacked with NRL and NSW Cup level talent in the backline.

“Where he plays too, he plays in the centres, he can play fullback, he can play six, he’s playing in positions where your defensive efforts are one-on-one, and you go and you play Wests and they’ve got Tautau Moga on one side of the field, they’ve got George Jennings on the other,” he said.

“It’s really hard defensively one-on-one to control those guys when they get opportunities, so having someone like Brent on one side of the field and having Luke on the other side of the field now, two experienced outside backs, I really see a lot of value for us there.”

As for what the star recruit wants out of season 2026, Naden himself sums it up best.

“You never play football just to come last, I think there is success lying ahead for the club and I think a lot of the local boys that missed out on the grand final and playing finals last year will have that fire in the belly to go better this year.”