Cronulla Sharks could lose their rising star prop to rival club.
Cronulla Sharks gun prop Andrew Fifita looks set to leave the club next season with the Canterbury Bulldogs in the box-seat to pick up the hottest forward in the NRL.
The Bulldogs have not held back in trying to lure Fifita away from Sutherland, with a four-year deal set to the richest ever offered to a front-rower.
The 24-year-old has also been targeted by South Sydney to replace the rugby union bound Sam Burgess, who will take up a rich contract with Bath next season.
Sorry, @Cronulla_Sharks fans… not a done deal yet but looking more and more like @andrewfifita will be barking with the @NRL_Bulldogs 2015
— The Mole (@RLW_Mole) March 9, 2014
Fifita has also been the target of rugby union as potentially the next high profile convert, and was recently spotted attending a NSW Waratahs game, with several high ranking offcials in his ear.
The damaging ball-runner has a background in the 15-man game, having played for the Griffith Blacks in the Southern Inland competition before being earmarked for higher honours with the ACT Brumbies.
However, he has made his name in the NRL, especially after being let go by the Wests Tigers with the past two seasons being outstanding as a member of the Sharks.
In that time Fifita was named Dally M prop of the year honours, earned a finals berth and NSW and Australian jerseys, as part of the Kangaroos winning World Cup trip to the UK.
The Bulldogs already have one of the most imposing packs in the game with Frank Pritchard, Sam Kasiano, James Graham, Aidan Tolman, Greg Eastwood, Dale Finucane and Josh Jackson already on the books.
If Fifita does leave it will be a bitter pill for the Sharks and their fans to swallow as they feel they managed to get the best out of the rising star of the game.
And while there is still some chance Fifita will stay with Cronulla, all latest information suggests that the deal with the Bulldogs will be signed in the coming days unless an unforeseen snag hits the process.
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