The St George Illawarra Dragons are reportedly poised to confirm a contract extension for Loko Pasifiki Tonga.
The young forward played for the under-19 New South Wales Blues side in 2024, and is a towering presence, standing at 196 centimetres, and weighing in at 121 kilograms.
It makes him one of the biggest props in the game already, but he has also impressed with his skills and motor, as well as the ability to churn through a significant work rate.
While he will need to step up to senior rugby league over the coming years on a consistent basis, it's not hard to see why Pasifiki Tonga is rated as one of the best - if not the best - young props in the game.
News Corp are reporting that Pasifiki Tonga, who is already contracted through to the end of 2026, will have a new deal locked in and announced this week through to at least the end of 2027, if not 2028.
Shane Flanagan - coach of the Dragons - has confirmed the prop will play in this year's Charity Shield, and earmarked him for a first-gade debut at some point this year.
Playing in the Dragons' SG Ball premiership this year, the former Australian Schoolboys' development is being aided by a fulltime deal this year through the pre-season, and he will likely be a permanent fixture in reserve grade at the Red V before pushing for a first grade cap during the second half of the campaign.
Flanagan has not held back promoting players who are ready to make the leap into first-grade, and nowhere was that more evident than in the case of Lykhan King-Togia at the end of 2024.
The young five-eighth, who started the season in junior rugby league, before progressing through the NSW Cup in a matter of weeks to the NRL, excelled in his early performances at the top level.
He is another player the Dragons are desperate to re-sign, although, off-contract at the end of 2025, he is yet to put pen to paper on a new deal.
