International forward Sitili Tupouniua will be a Roosters player until at least the end of 2027 after inking a three-year extension with the club.
The 26-year-old has appeared in 85 games for the Tricolours since making his debut in 2018 and become a regular for Mate Ma’a Tonga at Test level.
His re-signing comes after the Roosters announced they had also retained forward Nat Butcher through until the end of the 2027 season with a new three-year deal.
Roosters coach Trent Robinson said Tupouniua will be a key part of the club’s plans now his long-term future is secured.
“Sitili is a genuinely good person and I’ve loved watching his development over the years,” Robinson told the club website.
“His dedication and commitment to improvement make him a key component of our future plans so it’s exciting that he will continue to be a part of the Roosters family.”
Meanwhile the Raiders have re-signed Jamal Fogarty on a new two-year deal which locks in the star playmaker until 2025 with a club option for 2026.
The 29-year-old has become one of the Raiders’ most consistent players, playing 39 matches for the Green Machine since joining the club mid-season from the Titans in 2022.
Fogarty said he’s looking forward to guiding some of the club’s younger players into the future with the help from the fellow leaders at the club.
“This year is a lot different losing a couple of key players in Jacko (Wighton) and Toots (Croker), but we’ve still got the majority of the senior boys here and got a lot of youth coming through which I’m really excited about,” Fogarty said.
“I never wanted to leave the Raiders and I want to play here as long as I can.”
The Bulldogs have announced the signing of Cronulla utility Connor Tracey on a three-year deal.
The 27-year-old was contracted with the Sharks for the 2024 season but will join the Bulldogs for the pre-season after being granted a release by the Sharks.
“I’ve always admired Connor as a footballer and I’m very excited he has joined our club,” Bulldogs general manager of football Phil Gould said.
At the Warriors promising young forwards Jacob Laban and Zyon Maiu’u have both been re-signed on two-year deals to the end of the 2026 season.
The Knights have re-signed forward Jacob Saifiti on a new three-year deal which will see the Newcastle junior remain at the club until the end of 2027.
Since making his debut for Newcastle in the opening round of 2016 season, the 27-year-old front rower has gone on to play 142 games for the Knights and represent New South Wales.
In 2023 Saifiti also recorded his highest ever running metres in an NRL season, racking up 2,464 metres in 21 appearances in the red and blue jersey.
“Jacob has shown over the past few seasons that he is one of the most consistent middle forwards in the NRL,” Knights Director of Football Peter Parr said.
“We have no doubt his best football remains in front of him, and we are delighted he has re-committed to the Knights.”
PNG international Zac Laybutt has secured his future through to the end of 2025 after putting pen to paper on a one-year extension with the Cowboys, following his rookie season in 2023.
The Dragons have picked up forward Tom Eisenhuth effective immediately on a one-year deal, with the 31-year-old joining the Red V from Melbourne, where he played 58 games over the past four seasons.
The Titans have landed Canberra centre Harley Smith Shields on a new two-year deal. Contracted with the Raiders for the 2024 season, the Canberra local was granted a release to move to the Gold Coast and join pre-season training.
