St Helens close in on immediate transfer of NRL powerhouse

St Helens are working on a deal to sign Daniel Suluka-Fifita with immediate effect.

Saints have been considering their options after an injury to captain Matty Lees which has ruled him out for the season, leaving them light in the pack.

And they have now identified Suluka-Fifita as a player they would like to sign now and are thought to be closing in on a deal that will see him join the club immediately.

Suluka-Fifita, 26, has been offered to a number of Super League clubs in recent weeks, with sources saying they have been told he is available for an immediate transfer.

A towering forward who comes in at 6ft 4 and 112 kilos, he has made 46 NRL appearances since making his debut for Sydney Roosters in 2020. After playing 20 games, he joined South Sydney Rabbitohs in a mid-season switch back in 2022 and would go on to play 15 times for the Bunnies.

In 2024 he suffered an ACL injury that saw him miss an entire season, but Canterbury Bulldogs still signed him during his rehabilitation, and he returned to the field last year, playing 11 times for the club.

He has yet to feature for the Bulldogs in first-grade this year, but has been playing in the New South Wales Cup. Gold Coast Titans were said to have him on their wishlist last month, but more recently, he has been offered to Super League squads.

St Helens’ cap and quota position

The Super League leaders do have a quota spot at their disposal, using nine of their ten overseas spots. Their current quota players are Tristan Sailor, Curtis Sironen, Kyle Feldt, David Klemmer, Jacob Host, Jackson Hastings, Shane Wright, Agnatius Paasi and Nene Macdonald.

However, Saints were believed to be close to the salary cap, making their ability to make a move for Suluka-Fifita an interesting one. Whether they have to move a player out before getting him in remains to be seen, but they have been pursuing the deal recently and are growing closer to getting the deal done, suggesting, either way, they are in a position to pull the trigger.

A big deal for Saints

Lees’ absence is a tremendous blow for the club, with the forward one of the best in the world, while also being their captain.

Being without their enforcer for the year was an undoubted setback, and this move signals Paul Rowley looking to address that issue early. Beyond that, with Agnatius Paasi off-contract at the end of the year, it gives Saints, on the face of it, a direct and ready-made replacement. 34-year-old Paasi has only made four appearances since Rowley’s arrival at the club.

Suluka-Fifita is a different type of forward to Lees, better known for his destructive carry rather than the defensive and effort-based sides of the game where Lees excels.

But it’s an extra body in the pack, and a big one at that.