They have 405 NRL games and three grand final wins between them, now 39-year-old pair Jeremy Smith and Daniel Fitzhenry have been registered with defending Newcastle Rugby League champions Souths.
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Former New Zealand international Smith and Macksville-born Fitzhenry were added to the Lions' books ahead of this weekend's June 30 transfer deadline, leaving them free to play for the rest of 2019.
Both are living locally and have children playing juniors for South Newcastle.
Souths first grade coach Andrew Ryan, also with 290 NRL games and a premiership next to his name, confirmed the signings on Friday.
Ryan said he remains unsure how much Smith and Fitzhenry would play with the Lions, if at all, during the second half of the season.
"Jeremy Smith and Daniel Fitzhenry have signed with us," Ryan told the Newcastle Herald.
"I haven't seen them at training yet so I'm not sure how much they will play.
"Just to have them around the club will be good. Especially for a lot of younger players because they have so much experience.
"We'll just wait and see what happens."
Smith retired from the professional ranks at the end of 2016 after four seasons with the Newcastle Knights. The forward also played with Cronulla, St George Illawarra and Melbourne between 2004 and 2012, including successful deciders with different clubs in 2007 and 2010. He notched up 22 Tests for the Kiwis.
Fitzhenry, who coached the CRL Newcastle team at last year's under-23 NSW Country Championships, was a winger for the Wests Tigers and English Super League side Hull Kingston Rovers between 2002 and 2010. He scored a 63rd minute try in a triumphant NRL grand final in 2005.
Ryan said he would have been "pushing it" to get Smith and Fitzhenry to line-up for Souths this weekend.
The Lions were due to play a catch-up match against Central Newcastle at Townson Oval on Sunday after it was washed out a week earlier.
Following attempts to potentially transfer the fixture to St John or Dudley ovals, it has now been postponed again.
No alternate date has yet been set, but it may be played mid-week next month.
Second-placed Souths already have a game in hand against competition leaders Western Suburbs, which has been slated for the spare weekend in August (10-11).
There are no regular-round matches scheduled for Newcastle RL this weekend with 11 Rebels representatives away in Brisbane with the NSW Pioneers squad.
Sam Keenan, Blake Andrews, Mao Uta, Chad O'Donnell, Ryan Walsh, Alex Langbridge, Tama Koopu, Pat Mata'utia, Mitch Cullen, Jarom Haines and Luke Higgins will play the Queensland Rangers on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Adam Swadling has switched from Macquarie to Kurri. The clubs met each other on the weekend.
