The Canterbury Bulldogs have reportedly had a bid for Siosiua Taukeiaho blocked by the NRL.
Taukeiaho, who has been playing with the Catalans Dragons since the start of the 2023 campaign following the end of his successful time at the Sydney Roosters, was sacked alongside two other players last week over a club code of conduct breach where he skipped training to attend a concert.
It seems all but assured the forward will return to the NRL next season, but News Corp are reporting the Bulldogs made a play to bring him back to the NRL early for the remainder of the 2024 season.
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That has ultimately been blocked dead in its tracks though, with the report suggesting the NRL elected to not bend their own contract rules to allow his signature.
That is because the June 30 deadline for players to join clubs has already passed. Under NRL rules, the Bulldogs have a free spot in their Top 30 and can carry that all the way to the end of the season because forward Harrison Edwards was released after the NRL season started.
It's understood the Bulldogs attempted to use the same precedent of the Roosters signing Mark Nawaqanitawase, however, it's understood he is already under contract with the Roosters and has been allowed to attend the Paris Olympics where he is playing with the Rugby Sevens team for Australia, before linking up with the Roosters.
It's not the first time the Bulldogs have attempted to sign Taukeiaho, after a deal was reported to be all but done during the last off-season, only for it to fall over on the back of a failed medical test.
The Bulldogs have already signed Sitili Tupouniua from the Sydney Roosters for next year, but are believed to still have money available in their salary cap as they attempt to add more depth to their forward pack.
The immediate signing of Taukeiaho would have been a big one for the Bulldogs though given the injury issues they are currently facing in the middle third of the park, with Max King and Jaeman Salmon both sidelined alongside a host of other players.
Canterbury director of football Phil Gould has made no secret that forwards are the next priority for Canterbury after the club brought in a host of utility players and smaller options ahead of 2024, alongside Josh Curran who joined the club late in the pre-season from the New Zealand Warriors.
The club are well in the mix to play finals rugby league this year for the first time in a number of seasons, and may only need another three wins from their last seven games to qualify given a healthy for and against of +63, with clashes against the Brisbane Broncos (away), Canberra Raiders (home - Belmore), St George Illawarra Dragons (away - Kogarah), Dolphins (home - Bundaberg), New Zealand Warriors (away), Manly Sea Eagles (home) and North Queensland Cowboys (home) to close out their regular season.
