Richie Kingi and Dimitri Pelo sign for Rugby League Gold Coast defending premiers Runaway Bay

Runaway Bay really left it until the last minute to lock in a pair of mid-season transfers to bolster their stuttering Rugby League Gold Coast premiership defence.

RUNAWAY Bay really left it until the last minute to lock in a pair of mid-season transfers to bolster their stuttering Rugby League Gold Coast premiership defence.

Bay signed former Burleigh Intrust Super Cup player Dimitri Pelo and ex-Wallabies international Richie Kingi the Sunday of June 30.

Pelo joins his two brothers, Daymeric and Dylan, at the club while Kingi will split his time between Bay and Gold Coast District Rugby Union powerhouse Griffith University Colleges.

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Bay coach Nick Gleeson was delighted to add two key pieces to his roster which has been decimated by injuries throughout the year, including long-term injuries to forwards Tane Rapira, Javarn Nofoagatotoa and Daymeric Pelo.

Daymeric, Dimitri and Dylan Pelo at Burleigh in 2014.

“I know these blokes don’t necessarily play in the forwards but just their experience for our younger squad is going to mean more for us,” Gleeson said.

Kingi’s arrival was the result of a chance pre-season chat.

“I bumped into him at the gym about six months ago,” Gleeson revealed. “I had no idea who he was at the time.”

Suddenly, Kingi got in touch recently to have a crack at the 13-a-side sport.

Richie Kingi playing Queensland Premier Rugby for Souths in 2018. Picture: AAP/David Clark

The 30-year-old will play rugby for Colleges this Saturday afternoon – at the same time Gleeson’s side will host Ormeau – but is expected to make his Bay debut the following weekend, either at fullback or in the halves.

Other games this round include Currumbin against Southport on Saturday afternoon and Tugun versus Burleigh on Sunday.