The Melbourne Storm have reportedly snapped up Davvy Moale from Souths before the forward moves to Manly in 2027. It came on a day of big developments in the NRL, with Melbourne and the Roosters both hit proposed fines over alleged rule breaches.
The Daily Telegraph reported on Thursday that Moale is set to be granted an immediate release by the Rabbitohs to link up with Melbourne. The 22-year-old has already signed with the Sea Eagles from 2027, but will be in Storm colours in 2026 in a move similar to Jonah Pezet’s deal with Parramatta (2026) and Brisbane (2027).
The Roosters and Storm (L) have been hit with sanctions over alleged rule breaches, while Melbourne have reportedly signed Davvy Moale (R) from Souths. Image: Getty
The Storm will be without Eli Katoa for the entire 2026 season, and Moale will help fill the void. Melbourne have also signed former Bulldogs, Knights and Panthers forward Jack Hetherington to boost their pack.
They also announced on Thursday that young gun Ativalu Lisati has re-signed for two more years. Lisati has emerged as one of the Storm’s best young fowards, and is now locked down until the end of 2027.
“I’ve really enjoyed my footy in Melbourne,” the 24-year-old Lisati said. “We’ve got a great group of boys, and I love coming to training every day to work hard for my teammates. I’m looking forward to making the most of my opportunities and doing everything I can to help Storm achieve more success.”
Davvy Moale will link with the Storm before moving to Manly in 2027. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Storm and Roosters hit with proposed fines for rule breaches
Meanwhile, the NRL has also threatened fines for the Storm and Roosters over alleged rule breaches. The NRL announced on Thursday that the Roosters are facing a fine of $36,070 for allegedly breaching the supplementary and training salary cap by that amount in 2024.
The NRL is also claiming that Melbourne twice selected a player who was on a training contract in 2025, slapping them with a $25,000 fine (half of which is suspended). Under NRL rules, players on train and trial contracts aren’t eligible for selection until Round 11 and have to be upgraded to full-time deals.
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The Roosters and Storm have both been given extended time to respond to the alleged breaches given the time of year. “While the breach is at the lower end of the scale, it is proposed that the club will be issued with a fine of $36,070,” the NRL said of the Roosters.
“(The fine) reflects the balance of the club’s supplementary list and training wage overspend when applied against an underspend with respect to its top 30 salary cap calculation in 2024. It is also proposed that the amount of $36,070 is applied to the club’s future supplementary list and training wage salary cap calculation.”