New Zealand Warriors star veteran and 2018 Dally M Medallist Roger Tuivasa-Sheck is set to put pen to paper on a new deal, which will see him join a different club for the 2027 season.
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A veteran of the NRL, the 32-year-old has racked up 235 appearances in first-grade in two separate stints over the course of 13 seasons and is also a premiership-winner.
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However, his time in the competition is set to come to a close at the end of the season.
According to Love Rugby League, Tuivasa-Sheck is set to make the move to the Super League, where he will link up with the Wakefield Trinity for 2027 in one of the most unexpected but biggest deals in the competition’s history.
This will see him play alongside former NRL players Jazz Tevaga and 2025 premiership winner Tyson Smoothy.
Code Sports reports Sydney clubs had been told he would be available on the open market.
It is understood that he had interest from both the Sydney Roosters and South Sydney Rabbitohs, but has decided against signing with either one of the cross-city rivals.
At this stage, it remains unclear how many years the new deal will cover.
RTS has decided to reject interest from the Roosters and Rabbitohs.Source: Getty Images
TIGERS DUO LINKED WITH BEARS
On the verge of signing Wests Tigers forward Mavrik Geyer, the Perth Bears have identified another member of the club’s forward pack to join their inaugural roster.
Linked with the Bears for the past four weeks, foxsports.com.au understands that Geyer is set to make the switch to the new expansion club at the end of the season, which will see him follow in his father’s footsteps.
Three decades ago, his father Mark Geyer became the face of the Western Reds and played 22 matches for the Perth-based franchise as their marquee player before the side folded in 1997.
Yet to play an NRL match for the Tigers, Mavrik arrived at the club from the Penrith Panthers on a one-year contract.
Meanwhile, the Bears have now found themselves eyeing off another member of the joint-venture club.
Mavrik Geyer has yet to play a single match for the Tigers.Source: Supplied
Foxsports.com.au has learned that Mal Meninga’s side has expressed interest in Kit Laulilii, having already secured his younger brother, Luke, on a two-year deal.
Recently sidelined due to a concussion, Kit captained the famed 2022 Western Suburbs Magpies side to the Under-17s Harold Matthews Cup title alongside the likes of Lachlan Galvin and Tallyn Da Silva and has racked up three NRL appearances.
A powerful middle forward who can play either in the front-row or lock, Laulilii looked up to North Queensland Cowboys icon Jason Taumalolo growing up.
“I really looked to Jason Taumalolo growing up,” he told this columnist in the past.
“He was a wrecking ball growing up so watching how he played and how he ball ran back then, I reckon he was one of the most dominant forwards back then.
“During the time growing up, looking at him (I’m) just trying to mimic his step, his hard ball-running skills, and if I can take a little bit of myself out of someone, it’d definitely be Jason Taumalolo.”
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DOGS YET TO START TALKS WITH TRACEY
An update has been provided on the future of fullback Connor Tracey, as he remains one of the top players of the NRL who are still unsigned for next season.
Despite being one of the Bulldogs’ best players to begin their 2026 campaign, Tracey remains uncontracted for next year and his future remains up in the air.
Although he revealed to foxsports.com.au earlier in the year that he is keen to remain at the Belmore-based side, the club have yet to open up contract talks with him
Now prominent journalist Brent Read has revealed that Tracey’s management is set to open negotiations with the club around Round 6, once he gets a few more matches under his belt.
“This is a really interesting story because Connor Tracey has probably been their best player. He is off-contract at the end of the year,” Read said on Triple M Breakfast with Beau, Cat and Woodsy.
“And it’s a really strategic decision by his management. They said we’re not going to talk to the Bulldogs until he plays four or five games this year, see how he goes
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“His management haven’t really opened negotiations with the Bulldogs at all because they just wanted him to get some footy under his belt and to strengthen his position and he’s done that.”
It is understood that the Bulldogs remain heavily linked to Jahream Bula from the Wests Tigers and they may not decided to extend Tracey until they know the contract status of their potential transfer target.
Bula has until the middle of May to take up a player option in his contract, while the Tigers have until June to take up a club option.
If neither is taken up, he will be free to join a new team as early as 2027.
“And it’s sort of tied to Jahream Bula as well because we’ve got the Bula option in the middle of May and the Bulldogs have been linked to Jahream Bula so maybe it depends a bit on what Jahream Bula does,” Read added.
Tracey is off-contract at the end of 2026.Source: Getty Images
MAJOR UPDATE ON FATHER-SON DUO
Penrith Panthers CEO Matt Cameron has provided the latest update on the futures of father-son duo Ivan and Nathan Cleary as they are set to run off-contract at the conclusion of the 2027 season.
After revealing at the start of February that the Panthers were preparing to open talks with them over an extension to keep them at the club, Cameron revealed that they have since moved to “preliminary conversations” with the duo.
However, they are in no rush to lock them down to a new deal despite the Perth Bears and PNG Chiefs lurking around the corner.
“We’ve had preliminary conversations with both Nathan and Ivan and their respective managers and at this point in time, they’re contracted until the end of 2027,” Cameron said on SEN’s Kick Off with Brandy & Jimmy.
“We’re really in no rush to get anything done but we’re confident we’ll have both of them at the club as long as they want to be here.”
Nathan and Ivan Cleary will be off-contract at the end of 2027.Source: Getty Images
Set to hit the open market come November 1, Cleary who has achieved all there is to accomplish in the 13-man code, has made it no secret that he would like to test his value on the open market.
“In my mind, there’s no need to make a decision right now. I don’t want to make decisions about my future too quickly, or jump the gun on anything,” Nathan Cleary told The Herald last month.
“At the end of the day, I love where I’m at right now. To me, I haven’t really thought too much about my future because I still have two years to run on my contract.
“I understand people will start to talk about it, but it’s not in my mind at all – it still seems so far away.
“I look at how I want to be once I retire, I want to have no regrets – and that’s with the way I play, my preparation, whether I’m enjoying myself, contract negotiations … it’s a more holistic thing rather than just about contracts. I never want it to become a distraction. [But] it still feels so far away.”
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He has also been linked with a potential move to rugby union.
“My passion is rugby league. I couldn’t see myself leaving any time soon. Somewhere down the track, maybe. But not at the moment,” Cleary added.
“I’m not closing any doors. I’m open to anything. I’m also very happy with where I’m at, I’m very happy with rugby league – it’s my passion – and I couldn’t see anything changing anytime soon.
“I don’t want to say something like, ‘I’m never going to do it’, then you eventually do it. So much can change in the sporting world.
“It’s hard for me to envisage not [playing for] Penrith. I absolutely love Penrith, it’s home to me.”
The Cleary family.Source: Supplied
KIWIS FORWARD ADDRESSES FUTURE
A key member of the forward pack in the club’s four premiership victories, Penrith Panthers front-rower Mosese Leota has opened up on his long-term future.
This comes as he can entertain offers from rival teams as early as November 1, as he is off contract at the end of the 2027 season.
Debuting for the club back in 2016, the 30-year-old St Mary’s Saints junior has racked up over 200 NRL appearances for the side and represented both Samoa and New Zealand on the international stage.
Speaking to The Western Weekender, Leota declared that he wants to remain at the Panthers for the remainder of his career and is keen to sign an extension with them beyond 2027.
“Yeah 100 per cent! This club’s been my home for so many years now and I want to repay the faith,” Leota said.
“They believed in me from the start, so I think that’s something that I want to do.”
He is one of 13 players who will run off-contract at the end of 2027.
Others include Blaize Talagi, Paul Alamoti and State of Origin quartet Nathan Cleary, Liam Martin, Brian To’o and Isaah Yeo.
Moses Leota has addressed his future.Source: Getty Images