Isaiah Papali’i among stars who could become collateral damage in race for Addin Fonua-Blake | Daily Telegraph
Wests Tigers star Isaiah Papali’i is at risk of becoming collateral damage as the
hunt for Sydney-bound Warriors wrecking ball Addin Fonua-Blake gets serious.
It is understood the Warriors will be seeking a top-line player as part of a potential trade deal in return for granting Fonua-Blake an early release so he can join a new NRL club in 2025.
The game has been awash with rumours in recent days that the names heading the Warriors’ hit list include Papali’i and Tigers teammate Stefano Utoikamanu, along with Canterbury’s Viliame Kikau and St George Illawarra’s Jaydn Su’A.
Of those players, former Warrior Papali’i seems to be the one getting the most attention, which is probably due to the fact he appears the most likely player on this list that both parties would agree on.
There is next to no chance the Bulldogs would even contemplate letting Kikau go, while the Tigers would be crazy to surrender Utoikamanu at this point of his career.
Utoikamanu, 23, and his partner are also expecting their second baby, and sources have indicated that they have absolutely no desire to leave Sydney.
Addin Fonua-Blake is likely to spark a player-trade shootout as negotiations with desperate Sydney clubs get serious. Picture: Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images
Su’A could be a good fit but it would also depend on his desire to move to New Zealand.
Papali’i has also indicated he wants to stay living in Sydney where he has set up a happy off-field life with his partner, Elle Temu, who is a New Zealand netballer who moved to Australia to be with Papali’i.
While Papali’i has been told by the Tigers that the club is not shopping him around, everyone involved also understands how quickly it can all change when deals are being negotiated behind closed doors.
Of course it all depends on where Fonua-Blake ends up signing.
But regardless, the club that wins the race for his signature is going to have to come up with an exchange that will not only keep the Warriors happy, but also the salary cap auditor given Fonua-Blake is talking $1.2 million-a-season.
Stefano Utoikamanu has no desire to leave Sydney and upset his family life.
That figure would not be far-fetched given Fonua-Blake is one of the game’s top-five props who featured on this masthead’s exclusive Rich 100 list at No.9 on $1.05 million this season, and his stocks would have only gone up on the back of the Warriors’ shock top-four finish.
The only three clubs who appear to have the salary cap space to sign him would be the Tigers, Bulldogs and Dragons, although the Sharks have come into the conversation in recent days since releasing Connor Tracey.
The other issue for the Tigers and Bulldogs is that they are also in the fight for off-contract Panther Jarome Luai, who is seeking upwards of $1.1m-a-season.
Addin Fonua-Blake’s form in 2023 established him as one of the NRL’s top five props. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
Papali’i did an interview recently where he came out in strong support of Benji Marshall, and said he was committed to the Tigers for the long term.
He also believes living in Australia has benefited his football.
He initially debuted for the Warriors in 2017 under
Stephen Kearney as an 18 year-old.
But it wasn’t until he moved to the Eels that his career came to life.
While he did not initially want to leave Parramatta, the reported $640,000-a-season offer from the Tigers was just too much above what the Eels were initially prepared to spend to keep him.
The irony is the Eels probably could have kept Papali’i had their final offer been made earlier in the negotiations.
As it turned out, that monster pay upgrade is also the reason Papali’i is now seen as a potential trade option given the salary cap space it could free up to sign Fonua-Blake.
