Parramatta forward set to depart

Another Eel is understood to be heading for the exit.

Parramatta prop Oregon Kaufusi is understood to have signed a three-year deal with Cronulla from 2023.

The 22-year-old cemented his place into Brad Arthur’s squad this year, playing 21 games across stints starting in the Eels’ forward pack and from the interchange.

Kaufusi is among an extensive list of Eels players currently u Isaiah Papali’i, Marata Niukore nsigned past the end of next season, with Parramatta having already lost the signatures of Reed Mahoney, Isaiah Papali’i, Marata Niukore and Ray Stone for the 2023 season.

Mahoney is set to land at the Bulldogs at the conclusion of his contract with Parramatta, while Papali’i (Tigers) and Niukore (Warriors) were also pried away on lucrative offers from elsewhere.

Now, according to The Daily Telegraph, Kaufusi is set to join the aforementioned trio in departing the blue and gold, signing a $1.2 million deal with the Sharks.

Kaufusi has been viewed as a pivotal player in the Eels’ future, which has been heightened by the departure of Papali’i and Niukore.

Since the completion of the 2021 season, Parramatta have been managed to secure the services of Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Junior Paulo on new contracts, which bodes well for Arthur’s second-row stocks.

With their present list structure, the Eels will remain in the running for the championship in 2022, but it might be a make-or-break year given their leaving talents.

Kaufusi amassed a stellar campaign in 2021 to add to his long service to Parramatta, having been a prominent feature in their junior ranks.

The New Zealand-born forward made his NRL debut in 2018 and has tallied 44 matches with the Eels across four seasons.