‘No bad blood’: Sitili Tupouniua opens up on Roosters exit as key recruits enjoy mixed fortunes in round 1

Sitili Tupouniua made an eye-catching club debut for the Bulldogs, but it wasn’t smooth sailing for all the key recruits in round 1 of the NRL season.

Sitili Tupouniua insists there’s “no bad blood” between him and the Roosters, although his former club could have used him after he made a stunning statement with two tries on debut for the Bulldogs.

The Roosters’ inexperienced pack was exposed against the Broncos, with their cause not helped by a sickening head clash that ruled Victor Radley out of the contest early, while Nat Butcher missed the game after spending time in hospital.

With Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Super League) and Spencer Leniu (suspended) also not there, the decision to let both Tupouniua and Terrell May go has been questioned by some after both men starred in new colours.

Sitili Tupouniua starred on debut for the Bulldogs with two second-half tries. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Tupouniua signed a four-year deal with the Bulldogs and proved his worth on Saturday with two tries, a game-high 19 runs and more metres than any other forward despite playing just 42 minutes against the Dragons.

The experienced forward played in the middle and on the edge but didn’t want to discuss his move from the Roosters, with Tupouniua confident his old side will fix things quickly following their heavy loss to Brisbane.

“That’s in the past now,” he said.

“There’s no bad blood there, but I feel like it was just meant to be.

“It’s a fresh start for me and I feel like it was a good start.

“They’ve got a lot of young guys there, but give them time and I feel they’ll come good.

“They’ve still got quality players, so I’m not writing them off at all.”

Not a bad day to be Tupouniua 💪 #NRLDragonsBulldogspic.twitter.com/oA8pNMOyJB

— NRL (@NRL) March 8, 2025

Tupouniua is just looking to stay fit after battling serious knee and neck issues over the years, with a hamstring injury threatening to disrupt his first year in Belmore.

“He had a bit of an issue during pre-season. He did a hamstring after Christmas, so he hasn’t trained with us as much as we would have liked,” Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo said.

“He’s a real professional. He got himself ready and started training with the team last week. When he jumped into our training, it lifted another level.

“For him to get on (on Saturday) was awesome. We’re really glad he’s chosen to join our club, and he showed he can help us get better.”

Tupouniua was typically humble after the game and explained what it was that made him sign a long-term deal with a club on the rise.

“I just wanted to earn the respect of the boys,” he said.

“I liked the direction they were heading. Talking to ‘Ciro’, the culture they have here is something I wanted to be a part of.”

Terrell May stepped up as the new leader of the Tigers pack. Picture: NRL Photos

While Tupouniua was the pick of the off-season recruits, there were plenty of hits and misses in round 1.

TERRELL MAY (WESTS TIGERS)

The Tigers may have lost Stefano Utoikamanu to the Storm, but Terrell May is the perfect replacement and showed off his incredible motor with 20 runs, 28 tackles and five offloads in his first game for the club, while teammate Jarome Luai will take some time getting used to the new system.

“He showed he is not mucking around coming here. He wants to lead the way and be our leader in the forward pack,” Benji Marshall said.

“We planned to try and get him through the first 40, which he did, he got through it pretty good.

“We don’t chase stats or minutes, it’s just the quality we get out of him. I thought he was quality for us.”

JAMIE HUMPHREYS (SOUTHS)

The young halfback’s eye-catching club debut sets up a fascinating team list Tuesday, with Humphreys locked in a battle with Lewis Dodd, who missed the win over the Dolphins due to suspension.

Humphreys had more kicking metres than anyone in round 1 and also made 96 per cent of his tackles.

“He’s a pretty quiet kid, but he’s calm out there with a calm head,” halves partner Cody Walker said.

“He’s quite a big boy, so defensively he was outstanding.”

Chad Townsend and the Roosters had a rough night against the Broncos. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

CHAD TOWNSEND (ROOSTERS)

This wasn’t the start the veteran playmaker wanted, with the Roosters spending most of the game on the back foot and struggling to contain the Broncos who attacked the edges at will.

Filling in for the injured Sam Walker, Townsend didn’t provide any of the spark the Roosters needed, with the halfback running the ball just once and missing three tackles.

ISAIAH IONGI (EELS)

The youngster couldn’t get a go at Penrith behind Dylan Edwards, but he showed glimpses of why the Eels were so keen to sign him as Clint Gutherson’s replacement.

Iongi scored a late try and was one of three Eels players to run for 100m in their blowout loss to the Storm.

CLINT GUTHERSON, DAMIEN COOK, LACHLAN ILIAS, VALENTINE HOLMES (DRAGONS)

No club made more changes in key positions than the Dragons, with Gutherson making an immediate impact with three try assists, while Valentine Holmes also played a role in their comeback as the left edge feasted.

Lachlan Ilias was solid without being spectacular at halfback, while Damien Cook didn’t get the chance to run the ball due to the side’s poor completion rate.

“They weren’t the issue (why we lost). They did a good job,” Shane Flanagan said.

Originally published as ‘No bad blood’: Sitili Tupouniua opens up on Roosters exit as key recruits enjoy mixed fortunes in round 1