The Canterbury Bulldogs may only have four roster spots remaining for the 2023 season with limited salary cap space to boot, but the club are about to add two players in their forward pack.
Both Franklin Pele and Andrew Davey are reportedly set to sign with the blue and white, moving on from the Cronulla Sharks and Manly Sea Eagles respectively.
News Corp is reporting the Bulldogs will use two of their remaining spots on the players, who they would be likely to get on cut-price deals - something the Bulldogs desperately need given their precarious salary cap position.
The club's forthcoming director of football Phil Gould recently spoke out on Twitter, suggesting the club had five roster spots remaining for 2023 and in the vicinity of $700,000 to $800,000 remaining to spend.
Since then, the men from Belmore have re-signed good news story Raymond Faitala-Mariner on a three-year deal, taking him through to the end of the 2025 season at Belmore.
While Faitala-Mariner has battled with injury and may not have been on the money he otherwise would have found in his next contract, he still would have taken a chunk out of the remaining cap.
Davey will front up as a strong signing for the Bulldogs, having been linked to rivals the Parramatta Eels earlier in the season ahead of his almost certain exit from the Sea Eagles, despite the fact the has been used in a starting role this season and would likely do the same next year with Josh Schuster moving to five-eighth to cover the loss of Kieran Foran.
The Sea Eagles have signed Kelma Tuilagi, but it's unclear whether the young gun would front up ahead of Davey to partner Haumole Olakau'atu in the second row.
The Manly forward has battled with injury, but like Faitala-Mariner, has been a good news story this year. He would join a loaded second row featuring Faitala-Mariner, Tevita Pangai Junior and the arriving Viliame Kikau among others.
Pele, on the other hand, has struggled to breakthrough at the Sharks, but has shown strong form for the Newtown Jets.
Reports suggest the Bulldogs will want to increase his work rate and fitness ahead of a possible slot in the NRL team during the 2023 season, with his size and strength - he weighs more than 120 kilograms - having the potential to set him apart from other front rowers in the competition and hand the Bulldogs some X-Factor.
Neither player has officially made the switch for 2023 yet.
