Canterbury Bulldogs forward Renouf Atoni will officially move to the Sydney Roosters in 2022, inking a two-year deal with the club.
The 26-year-old has played 43 games since making his first grade debut back in 2018, and has plenty of untapped potential despite the Bulldogs' struggles in recent years.
Roosters coach Trent Robinson said the club are excited to welcome Atoni to Bondi in the coming months.
“Renouf is a powerful ball-runner with great skills and we’re looking forward to welcoming him to the Roosters when our pre-season gets underway in a few months,” he said.
The signing of Atoni and extension of rookie Naufuhu Whyte will fill the hole left by premiership-winning forward Isaac Liu, who has signed with the Gold Coast Titans for next year .
Robinson was full of praise for the 19-year-old, who has committed with the Tricolours until at least the end of 2024.
“It’s been exciting to watch the younger players in our squad come through, and Fahu is a hard worker who has bought into what it means to be a Rooster," he said.
"I’m looking forward to watching him continue to grow as a player and a person in the seasons ahead."
Whyte played three games in his debut season - all of which he came off the bench - averaging 52 metres per game.
He described his spot at the Roosters as a 'blessing' and wants to continue learning from the senior forwards at the club.
“I’m so proud to be a Rooster and grateful for every opportunity that the club has given me," he said.
"It’s a blessing to be learning from Robbo and the senior players we have here like Jared and Siua.
"I’m really happy that this is where I’ll continue to make my home and work on my game.”
The new signings complete a fantastic forward pack that features the likes of Victor Radley , Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Angus Crichton, as well as rising stars in Egan Butcher and Lindsay Collins.