St George Illawarra have expressed their interest in signing Stefano Utoikamanu from the Wests Tigers, preparing a five-year offer worth $4.5 million. Discussions with Utoikamanu began this week, with the Dragons aiming to present their club vision to the former NSW Origin player. The Wests Tigers have already offered him a five-year deal valued at $4 million, which is $100,000 less per season than the Dragons’ proposal.
A Dragons official confirmed their interest when contacted by the Herald. The Canberra Raiders have also shown interest, preparing to offer more than the Tigers, with sources indicating they would match the Dragons’ $900,000 per season bid. The Melbourne Storm are monitoring the situation and are planning their own offer, while the Bulldogs are exploring other options and are not looking to spend heavily on a front-rower.
A clause in Utoikamanu’s contract allows him to become a free agent if he did not play two State of Origin games this year or if the Tigers miss the top eight. With neither condition likely to be met, Utoikamanu met with Tigers executives last week to inform them of his intent to explore other options, leading to immediate negotiations with the Dragons.
Despite enjoying his time under coach Benji Marshall, Utoikamanu wants to play finals football, which the Tigers are striving to convince him he can achieve with them soon. The Tigers’ current offer averages $800,000 per year, which is below the $900,000 the previous chief executive indicated they would be willing to pay.
