Former seven-game NRL player Franklin Pele has re-signed with the South Sydney Rabbitohs and will continue pushing for an NRL return in 2027.
His management has confirmed he will remain with the club in 2027, having turned out for them in the NSW Cup this year.
The towering prop, who stands at 194 centimetres and weighs in at 132 kilograms, was rated highly when he burst onto the scene with the Cronulla Sharks in 2021.
The forward played just one game for that club, suffering a major injury at the backend of his debut season.
He failed to register an appearance in 2022, but then moved to the Canterbury Bulldogs where he made another six appearances at NRL level.
With that season failing to see him crack permanent first-grade honours, he would make the move to Hull FC in the English Super League ahead of the 2024 season, playing nine games for the club, and another two on loan at the York Knights.
He moved to the Bradford Bulls in 2024, having his best club stint with 27 games across the 2024 and 2025 campaigns.
He also played four games of rugby union in France during 2025.
Pele would return to Australia at the start of 2026, linking up with the Rabbitohs on a pathways deal in a similar way to Matt Dufty, who also joined the club out of the Super League at the start of this year.
While Dufty has found a home at fullback for the Rabbitohs and is now likely to re-sign for 2027, Pele managed half a dozen NSW Cup games, turning in some impressive performances.
That has been enough for him to earn another year as part of Wayne Bennett's wider squad at Maroubra, with his size and ability making him the sort of player who could find a way back into the NRL.
