Bulldogs investigate photo leak after pulling off $3m Kikau raid

The Panthers and Bulldogs are reportedly both fuming after a photo of Viliame Kikau in Canterbury colours spoiled a $3 million coup.

Viliame Kikau pictures in Bulldogs colours. Photo: Twitter, Getty.

The Bulldogs have reportedly launched an investigation into a photo of Viliame Kikau posing alongside Bulldogs coach Trent Barrett wearing a Canterbury polo shirt.

News of the club’s investigation came after reports first emerged Kikau has signed a monster $3.2 million, four-year-deal with the Bulldogs, beginning in 2023.

However, the leaked photo of Kikau in blue and white leaves the second-rower in an awkward position of finishing out his contract with the Panthers in 2022.

He is also expected to join teammates for the team’s official premiership parade through Penrith on Saturday.

The photo that has been spreading across social media shows Kikau posing in front of a photographer alongside Barrett and Bulldogs general manager of football Phil Gould.

It is another flashpoint in the ongoing bad blood between the two western Sydney clubs.

Nine’s Danny Weidler first reported the Bulldogs had made a snap decision to investigate how the photo was taken from a club security camera.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported the Bulldogs had no intention of making the photo with Kikau public.

The report details the two clubs had reached an agreement to make the announcement about Kikau’s future after the premiership parade had been held.

Viliame Kikau is off to the Canterbury Bulldogs.

Viliame Kikau. Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images.

The Panthers were reportedly fully aware the club had a fight to retain Kikau as a result of the many big-name re-signings the club has made recently to keep its grand final team together.

News Corp last month reported the Dragons, Cowboys and the Dolphins were all interested to signing Kikau to a long-term deal.

The Dogs collected the wooden spoon this year in Barrett’s first season at the helm but he went to work overhauling the roster. He’s added Matt Burton, Brent Naden, Josh Addo-Carr, Matt Dufty, Paul Vaughan, Tevita Pangai Jr, Josh Cook, John Asiata, Max King and Braidon Burns for the 2022 season.

The Dogs are also in the mix to sign Eels hooker Reed Mahoney and are quickly building one of the most star-studded squads in the NRL.

Penrith's Viliame Kikau will have an interesting Saturday. Picture: Brett Costello.

Kikau has played in the past two grand finals for Penrith, winning this year, and has made 98 appearances for the club since debuting in 2017.

The Panthers were expected to retain Kikau and will disappointed by his defection.

“We’re very confident that we will be able to come to an agreement with his management and have him on the roster for another three or four years as well,” Panthers chief executive Brian Fletcher said in September.

“Every indication is that he’ll be staying.

“A lot of players like to take a little bit of a discount to play with a side that’s going well, so I think he comes under that category.”

Kikau has played 11 Test matches for Fiji and considered one of the most exciting players in the game.

— with foxsports.com.au