Former Hull FC and Bradford Bulls man Franklin Pele has been handed a surprise NRL lifeline ahead of 2026, with the prop forward joining the ranks at the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
The 24-year-old forward began the 2025 season with the Bulls in the Championship, but after just 11 appearances, he headed to France to join third-tier rugby union side Racing Club de Narbonne.
Pele made a total of 34 appearances across his one-and-a-half seasons in the UK, 26 for Bradford and eight for Hull FC.
Franklin Pele joins South Sydney Rabbitohs ranks for 2026
Speaking on the Rabbitohs Radio Podcast, Rabbitohs Recruitment Manager Brent Hill confirmed Pele will take a spot in the club’s New South Wales Cup squad ahead of the 2026 season.
“He’s a very big unit,” said Hill. He hasn’t arrived from France yet; he’s waiting for his daughter’s passport.”
“When he arrives, he’s a very big boy, as big a front-rower you’ll get. He’s a big front-rower, which we need.”
This will also be his first stint back in Australia since he left the NRL in 2024, having previously spent time with the Canterbury Bulldogs and Cronulla Sharks.
During his previous spells, Pele made seven NRL appearances – one for Cronulla and six for Canterbury – alongside 34 reserve grade appearances for Newtown Jets and the Bulldogs reserves. In his time in the reserve competitions, Pele also scored 16 tries.
His arrival at the club also comes amid a reshuffle of the Rabbitohs’ New South Wales coaching staff. Ex-Rabbitohs man Eddie Paea has now joined head coach Wayne Collins’s staff ahead of the 2026 campaign, while Jason Peterson also remains in post.
Fellow former Rabbitohs man Ben Lovett has also joined the pathway coaching system, taking up a post in the club’s Jersey Flegg Cup coaching group. This was also a position he took up last season, during his knee rehabilitation.
SATURDAY’S READS ON LRL
👉🏻 New Leigh recruit lauds Leopards’ Papua New Guinean connection as 2026 targets set
👉🏻 Warrington Wolves pair join Championship newcomers ahead of 2026 as siblings reunite
👉🏻 Leigh Leopards coach delivers 2026 recruitment update as Robbie Mulhern transfer links addressed
👉🏻 Bradford Bulls swoop to sign fourth Salford Red Devils star as ‘massive acquisition’ claim made