Roosters backrower Sitili Tupouniua is set to leave the club with three years remaining on his contract and join the Bulldogs next season.
Foxsports.com.au can reveal Tupouniua met with Canterbury coach Cameron Ciraldo on Monday to discuss signing with the club from 2025.
The Roosters gave Tupouniua – who is currently contracted until 2027 – permission to talk to rival clubs after they thought they’d signed Titans backrower David Fifita.
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But Fifita backflipped at the last minute and not only did the Roosters missed out on the representative star, but it may end up costing them two backrowers.
The Bulldogs are enjoying a resurgence under Ciraldo and look set to play finals for the first time since 2016.
Ciraldo is trying to bolster his pack and is keen on the services of 27-year-old Tupouniua, who has played for Tonga but has been in and out of the Roosters side this season.
The Roosters are genuine premiership contenders this year but coach Trent Robinson could see half his starting side leave at the end of the season.
NSW backrower Angus Crichton said he was blindsided by the Fifita signing and made no secret of his frustration with the club for going after a player in his position.
Crichton, who was linked with a move to rugby union earlier this season, has returned to career-best form in 2024 and is yet to sign anywhere next year.
The Chooks are still in the box seat to retain Crichton but if the 28-year-old chooses to leave, he’ll depart alongside fellow stars Joey Manu, Joseph Suaalii, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Luke Keary.
Daniel Tupou was also set to leave but the veteran winger is expected to earn a one-year extension after the Roosters missed out on Knights centre Dane Gagai.
Additionally, Brandon Smith is expected to be shown the door at the end of the season unless his attitude improves significantly.
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Robinson is likely facing a rebuilding season next year but it won’t be his first and could pay serious dividends.
Robinson joined the Roosters in 2013 and immediately won the competition as well as three straight minor premierships.
But after bouncing out in the preliminary finals in 2014 and 2015, the coach knew their premiership window had closed.
He told the Roosters powerbrokers that the club would need to bottom out in 2016 in order to rebuild a premiership-winning roster.
Robinson had the runs on the board by that stage so the bosses backed him and tolerated a second-last finish in 2016.
They returned to the preliminary final in 2017 before becoming the first club in NRL history to win back-to-back titles in 2018-19.