St Helens have signed prop forward Daniel Suluka-Fifita from Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs on a two-and-a-half-year deal, bringing in the 26-year-old immediately after a bruising weekend that left the club short-handed in the pack. He will link up with Paul Rowley's squad in the next few days.
Suluka-Fifita has played 46 games in Australia's premier competition since making his debut in 2020, including 11 for the Bulldogs. He has also represented South Sydney Rabbitohs and Sydney Roosters in the NRL, giving St Helens a front-row option with top-flight experience at a time when they badly need it.
The move comes after St Helens captain and fellow prop Matty Lees was ruled out for the rest of the season. The club's need became even sharper over the weekend, when defeat at Castleford Tigers sent them sliding from first to third in Super League.
Rowley said the club was pleased to get the deal done after injuries had stretched the squad this season, describing Suluka-Fifita as a player of quality and character. That is the immediate backdrop to the signing: St Helens needed cover up front, and they have moved quickly to secure it.
The timing matters because the season is tightening and St Helens can no longer wait for reinforcements to arrive later. Suluka-Fifita's arrival gives Rowley another senior body in the middle, but the real question now is how fast he can settle into the system before the pressure of the run-in bites harder.
