Parramatta teen Stefano Utoikamanu signs $800,000 deal with Wests Tigers
Wests Tigers have jagged one of the hottest young talents in the game for $800K and poached him from under the noses of the Parramatta Eels.
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Parramatta have lost a young forward they believe is a future NRL star, with blockbusting prop Stefano Utoikamanu accepting an $800,000 deal to join Wests Tigers.
Considered among the Eels most promising players, Utoikamanu has agreed to join the Tigers for three years from 2021 – and potentially sooner.
Despite still having 12 months to serve at Parramatta, officials from the Sydney joint-venture club are now in talks to have the 115kg teenager switch camps immediately.
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If that happens, Tigers head coach Michael McGuire has the salary cap space available to add the NSW U/20s representative to his NRL squad immediately.
The signing news is a huge coup for the Tigers, who also remain favoured to secure Kangaroo centre Latrell Mitchell for next season.
While the Utoikamanu deal is considered large for a player who is yet to go beyond NSW Cup, Tigers officials quietly believe it will eventually prove a bargain.
Certainly the news will come as a shock to hardcore members of the Blue & Gold Army.
It comes only 48 hours after The Daily Telegraph revealed superstar winger Maika Sivo had been rushed home from a Fijian holiday to have emergency surgery on a mystery hand infection.
Thankfully, the breakout NRL cult figure is already recovering and is expected to be back in pre-season training within weeks.
But as for Utoikamanu still being there when he returns?
Behind the scenes, Parramatta officials have been talking up the NRL potential of the youngster for some time.
There have also been comparisons made with the promising bookend and NSW Origin wrecking ball Payne Haas, a former teammate at junior level.
Given Utoikamanu is currently on a development contract with the Eels, the club is understood to be standing its ground on him playing out the duration of his current deal.
However, given the Tigers have lost backrower Ryan Matterson to Parramatta, there is interest in having the Australian Schoolboy switch camps immediately.
Utoikamanu is already in pre-season training with the Eels.
Despite the loss, Parramatta still have plenty of depth in its rising forward stocks, including NSW U/18s prop Dave Hollis and fellow rising star Sam Hughes.
Back in May, the pair were among four young Eels selected for the Blues U/18s, joining Trey Mooney and Viliami Penisini -- although Hughes missed the Origin curtain-raiser, due to suspension.
Parramatta is also confident of its strength up front in 2020 following the key signings of both Matterson and fellow NSW Origin contender Reagan Campbell-Gillard.