ST HELENS have signed Canterbury Bulldogs prop Daniel Suluka-Fifita on a two-and-a-half-year contract with immediate effect.
Suluka-Fifita, who has 46 NRL games under his belt having also played for Sydney Roosters and South Sydney Rabbitohs, is expected to arrive in the UK within a week.
The 26-year-old brings significant size to Saints’ forward pack, weighing in at 112kg and standing at six-foot-four.
It’s a welcome boost to coach Paul Rowley’s middle unit after a succession of injuries there, most notably the knee injury which has left captain Matty Lees unlikely to play again this season.
Suluka-Fifita, who hasn’t featured in the NRL in the current campaign, has been signed following the release of fellow prop Agnatius Paasi, which helped free up space on their salary cap.
Rowley said: “On behalf of everybody at the club, I’d like to welcome Daniel to St Helens, and we look forward to seeing him in the Red Vee.
“After a difficult run with injuries which has stretched the squad this season, it’s great to bring in a player of Daniel’s quality and character.”
Suluka-Fifita, who made his Roosters debut in 2020, enjoyed the most consistent spell of NRL action in his career after joining South Sydney midway through the 2022 season.
But the Sydney-born player with Tongan heritage missed almost all of 2024 after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
He was released to link up with Canterbury, where he made eleven appearances last year, all but one as a starter.