Canterbury's loss is shaping up as Perth's gain, and the timing couldn't be neater.
The Daily Telegraph reported that Jope Rauqe, one of the Bulldogs' brightest emerging wingers, is on track to join the Bears under Mal Meninga on a two-year contract starting from next season.
There is a formality to clear, as Rauqe is still under contract with the Bulldogs until the end of the 2027 season.
The possibly soon-to-be Bears winger is 6'6, possessing speed, power and size for a teenager.
Using his frame to generate post-contact metres, he plays an aggressive show-and-go style and has a strong fend.
Rauqe has been named to start on the wing for NSW's under-19 side against Queensland at North Sydney Oval on Thursday night, giving Bears fans their first proper look at a player who's quickly built a reputation in the lower grades.
He has already represented Fiji last year and scored a try in Canterbury's pre-season trial match against the North Queensland Cowboys before the season started, and progressed through the Bulldogs' academy ranks, skipping age brackets.
The current Bulldog is the third young gun the Bears have lured away from a rival club, following the earlier additions of Jasais Ah Kee from the St George Illawarra Dragons and Mason Barber from the North Queensland Cowboys.
