Ivan Cleary has previously called for NRL clubs to be compensated when their junior ranks are raided.
The Dragons have confirmed the signings of twin 16-year-olds Alexander and Cornelius Pupualii in a major retention blow for the Penrith Panthers. The Pupualii twins are Panthers juniors, and highly-rated prospects.
Cornelius is a 193cm-tall centre weighing in at 100kg, who the Dragons view as a long-term member of their back-line. Alexander is a 119kg second-rower, who has unfortunately missed all junior footy this season due to an ACL injury.
Cornelius has been carving up in the Panthers’ Harold Matthews Cup team (Under-17s). The twins are set to turn 17 later this year, and the Dragons believe they will be part of their first-grade squad for years to come.
The Dragons are pleased to confirm that talented teenagers Alexander and Cornelius Pupualii have agreed to deals with the club,” St George Illawarra said in a statement on Tuesday. “The two will be contracted to the club until at least the end of the 2027 season.”
The Pupualii brothers grew up in Mount Druitt and played their junior rugby league with the St Marys Saints – in the heartland of Panthers territory. But Penrith had a fight on their hands to retain them, with the Raiders, Rabbitohs, Tigers, Sharks and Cowboys all expressing interest.
But the Dragons ultimately won out after the twins and their parents met with coach Shane Flanagan. “I’m grateful. I just want to give back to my family. I’m ready to work hard and I’m ready to pull on this jersey,” Alexander said via the Dragons website.
Cornelius added: “I have faith in this club’s coaching staff and players. There is so much history here. We’re both for the fans and can’t wait to represent them.”
Hope for Dragons fans amid finals drought
The Dragons are set to play the Pupualii twins at SG Ball Cup level (Under-19s) in 2026. Their signing is a massive boost for a struggling club, with the Dragons currently sitting 11th and little chance to play finals footy.
The Red V haven’t played finals footy since 2018, with Flanagan likely to miss the playoffs in his second year at the helm. However the Dragons have a good crop of youngsters coming through in the likes of Dylan Egan, Hamish Stewart, Lyhkan King-Togia, Loko Pasifiki Tonga and Jacob Halangahu. The Pupualii brothers will only strengthen their young core and give Red V fans plenty of hope.
Ivan Cleary wants compensation for Penrith juniors leaving
As for the Panthers, it remains to be seen how highly they rated the twins. The Panthers have one of the best junior pathways systems in the NRL, which inevitably results in rival clubs poaching some of their best young talent.
Speaking last year, coach Ivan Cleary called for the NRL to introduce a compensation system for when clubs have their junior ranks raided. “I think we should get dispensation, probably more in a development sense,” Cleary said.
“We develop a lot of players here that end up elsewhere, so I feel like we should get looked after more by the NRL in that space, apart from the salary cap and how it all works, it’s hard to argue with. But I do think we should be compensated in some way for the amount of players we’ve developed and the status they’ve become throughout the league.”
