Siosifa Talakai has confirmed he is “entertaining” a move to Perth to join the new Bears franchise as his contract winds up at the Sharks.
Talakai is currently off contract and available to offers, with the Sydney Morning Herald reporting he has a three-year deal on the table from the Bears.
The 28-year-old has four children with his wife and has been at Cronulla since 2020, but it appears a major move is likely.
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“It’s something my partner and I have been talking about, and we know it’s a great opportunity – why wouldn’t you want to go over there and be a founding member as well,” he told the Herald.
Siosifa Talakai of the Sharks looks on during the round 14 NRL match between Cronulla Sharks and New Zealand Warriors at Sharks Stadium on June 07, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)Â Getty
“It’s going to be hard to get a deal done here at Cronulla. If I had the opportunity to stay, I would, but it’s not about me anymore. It’s about what’s best for me, my partner and my family.
“I don’t want to stand in the way of any players coming through. I’m definitely entertaining the Perth deal.”
Talakai’s current contract was signed in 2022 in a three-year contract extension from a deal that was already set to end in 2023.
The utility has a special connection to Perth, considering it’s where he made both his NRL and Origin debuts.
“I haven’t had the chance to go over there, but Perth holds a special place in my heart because it’s where I debuted for South Sydney in 2016, and I played my first Origin game with the Blues in 2022,” Talakai said.
While it appears Talakai’s time at the Sharks is set to be over, he only had kind words to express about the club that has made him into the player today.
“When I’ve had to think about the contract situation, and when going back and forth with my manager and partner, and looking back through the years, it kind of brought me to tears,” he said.
“… I’m really grateful to the Sharks. If they wanted me to go to hell and back to help secure a premiership, I’d do it without thinking twice. I want to leave no stone unturned, whether this is my last season or not. I’ll be giving it a good crack.”
If Talakai were to sign, he’d be the first Origin representative on Perth’s list.