The South Sydney Rabbitohs are reportedly closing in on the signature of Sydney Roosters' prop Daniel Suluka-Fifita.
The 22-year-old was one of the breakout players of the 2021 campaign, when the Roosters faced an ever-mounting injury crisis. While James Tedesco and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves took most of the plaudits for dragging the tri-colours to a fifth-placed finish and second-week finals exit, a crop of young guns played far better than their experience might have suggested.
Suluka-Fifita was one of those players, playing ninegames during the second half of the season and making plenty of strong carries to make a name for himself off Trent Robinson's bench.
It followed his debut in 2020, where he managed four games.
He has played five games this year, taking his NRL total to 18, but is struggling for any consistent minutes, having played no more than 15 in a single game.
His NSW Cup form has been strong however, and the rising talent, who was born in Sydney and is a Matraville Tigers junior, is tipped as a player to watch in the coming years.
That might be in a Rabbitohs' jersey though, with The Daily Telegraph reporting the arch rivals are closing in on the signature.
It's understood the Roosters are keen on keeping their young talent, however, salary cap issues are likely to prevent the tri-colours from matching the offer that has come from South Sydney.
The loss of Siosiua Taukeiaho could have led to more minutes in the coming season for Suluka-Fifita, while it's also unclear how many more seasons Jared Waerea-Hargreaves will continue to play for, which could leave a talent drain in the front row for Robinson's side.
The Rabbitohs, on the other hand, have Tevita Tatola and Davvy Moale locked down long-term, while the likes of Liam Knight and Hame Sele remain at the club next year.
A lack of depth could present the Rabbitohs as an appealing option for Suluka-Fifita though, where he would undoubtedly move straight into contention for a spot in Jason Demetriou's 17 given the departure of Mark Nicholls to the Dolphins at the end of the season.
It would also appear Suluka-Fifita has been overtaken in the Roosters' line up by another young gun in Terrell May, who is on the bench for this week's clash with Melbourne, while Suluka-Fifita appears in the reserves list.
