Wests Tigers star youngster Kelma Tuilagi has signed a three-year deal with the Manly Sea Eagles.
The Tigers have already lost star edge forward Luciano Leilua to the North Queensland Cowboys for the 2023 season, but are now set to lose Tuilagi as well.
Rated as one of the brightest young prospects in the game, Tuilagi put in a solid shift during the opening game of the season against the Melbourne Storm on Saturday evening.
He beat out Luke Garner for a starting spot for Round 1, and has done so again for Round 2, however, has told coach Michael Maguire that he has joined the Sea Eagles for 2023.
The news is yet to be officially announced by the club.
He told The Daily Telegraph that is was difficult to break the news to his current coach.
“Madge [Michael Maguire] fought to bring me here from Melbourne. I had tears in my eyes telling him,” Tuilagi told The Daily Telegraph.
“We came back from the Christmas break but Madge had Covid, so I had to wait another week before telling him in person.
“Holding it in was so hard. I didn’t want to do it on the phone. I wanted to tell him face-to-face because he was confident I would stay.”
Intriguingly, joining the Sea Eagles will likely see him slot in behind Haumole Olakau'atu and Josh Schuster, although there is a line of thought which suggests Schuster will move to five-eighth once Kieran Foran retires.
That doesn't appear as if it will happen anytime soon though, with Foran recently revealing he plans to play on beyond the end of this year, hoping to earn a new contract on the Northern Beaches.
Tuilagi's departure is a bitter blow for the Tigers given Leilua is also leaving. The club have offset the departures already with the signing of Isaiah Papali'i from the Parramatta Eels, while reports suggest they are making a big-money move for Cowboys young gun Jeremiah Nanai for 2023.
