One of the brightest young forward talents in rugby league, Cooper Bai has reportedly caught the interest of two rival teams amid reports that the Gold Coast Titans are trying to extend his services.
Debuting in the final round of the 2025 NRL season against the Wests Tigers, Bai may have only played one single match in first-grade, but he has already impressed fans and club officials with his attitude and hard work ethic on both ends of the field.
On a development contract for 2026, reports emerged recently that the Gold Coast Titans were aiming to extend his services with an upgraded deal.
However, they may not be able to hold onto the Under-19s Queensland representative, with News Corp reporting that he has caught the interest of the Melbourne Storm and Sydney Roosters as he prepares to speak with rivals from November 1.
“I played against his father Marcus Bai and he is one of the hardest guys I ever had to tackle,” ex-NRL, State of Origin and international player Gordon Tallis told The Courier-Mail.
“He was off the back fence, he was built low to the ground and if his son has his dad’s fabric, which it looks like it does, he will be pretty special.
“I watched him play in the Queensland under-19s and he was one of the best players on the field.”
The son of former NRL player Marcus Bai, Cooper made two tackle busts, 15 tackles and 76 running metres in his first and only first-grade appearance – he crossed the line for a try before it was disallowed.
Adding to this, he scored five tries, made 22 tackle busts and 172 tackles and averaged 148 running metres per game in his seven QLD Cup appearances for the Tweed Seagulls.
“Cooper Bai is young. The talent has got him this far,” Tallis added.
“When you are 17 or 18, talent gets you this far, but it looks like Cooper has a great attitude and he has a great sounding board in his father.
“Subconsciously, he would have watched and heard his dad and how he got to the top.”