Player movements: Gidley & MacDougall

Newcastle has lost one favourite son but regained another after signing disgruntled South Sydney winger Adam MacDougall and granting veteran centre Matthew Gidley a release to join Super League club St Helens.

MacDougall, who won two premierships with the Knights in 1997 and 2001, will return to Newcastle for the 2007 season with a further option on his incentive-based contract for 2008. MacDougall will bring a wealth of experience to a Knights backline next season that will lose not only Brian Carney to new NRL franchise Gold Coast and Anthony Quinn to Melbourne but also longtime centre Gidley to the UK.

Gidley, who made his first grade debut with the Knights as an 18-year-old in 1996, was today granted a release to take up a lucrative contract with St Helens where he will take the place of Manly-bound centre Jamie Lyon.