St George Illawarra prop Hame Sele is set to continue his career in the Super League, with the forward poised to sign a three-year deal with the Catalans Dragons from next season.
The move will see Sele become the sixth Dragons player to swap the Red V for the Super League, ending his second stint at the club when his contract expires at the end of the 2026 season.
According to reports from The Daily Telegraph, Sele will join current Dragons teammate Luciano Leilua at Catalans, with the pair set to represent the French club that shares the same Dragons mascot.
The move continues the growing exodus from St George Illawarra, with Damien Cook, Mathew Feagai and Tyrell Sloan all signing with the Castleford Tigers. At the same time, Emre Guler will link up with Wakefield Trinity.
The 29-year-old had been linked with an early departure before the June 30 transfer deadline this year, but ultimately remained at St George Illawarra after a mid-season release failed to eventuate.
Instead, Sele will now head overseas in search of greater opportunities after slipping down the pecking order at the Dragons.
A Tongan international, Sele has managed just 11 NRL appearances across the past two seasons, including five games this year. He has not featured in first grade since Round 6 and has spent much of the remainder of the season in the NSW Cup after initially battling injuries before falling out of favour. Across his career, Sele has played 94 NRL matches.
He made his first-grade debut for the Dragons in 2017 before spending a brief five-game stint with the Penrith Panthers in 2019. Sele then enjoyed four seasons with the South Sydney Rabbitohs before returning to St George Illawarra ahead of the 2024 campaign.
With first-grade opportunities limited in recent seasons, the move to Catalans presents Sele with the chance to revive his career and secure regular top-level football on a long-term deal in the Super League.
