Jope Rauqe on track for Perth Bears with two-year deal

Jope Rauqe is on track to join the perth bears on a two-year contract starting next season, even though he remains under contract to the Bulldogs until the end of the 2027 season. The Canterbury winger is 6'6 and has already moved through the club’s academy ranks while skipping age brackets.

Rauqe and Mal Meninga

The Bears will add a teenager who brings speed, power and size, plus an aggressive show-and-go style and a strong fend. Mal Meninga is set to have him in a squad that is still being built with young talent pulled from rival clubs.

Rauqe’s rise has come fast. He represented Fiji last year and scored a try in Canterbury’s pre-season trial against the North Queensland Cowboys before the season started. On Thursday night, he is named to start on the wing for NSW’s under-19 side against Queensland at North Sydney Oval.

Bulldogs pathway to Perth

That NSW selection adds another marker to a player who has moved through the Bulldogs’ system quickly. His profile has already made him one of the more closely watched under-19 prospects, and the Bears have moved early enough to line him up on a two-year deal from next season.

Rauqe would be the third young gun the Bears have lured away from a rival club. Jasais Ah Kee arrived from the St George Illawarra Dragons, and Mason Barber came from the North Queensland Cowboys.

For Canterbury, the deal talks with Perth cut across a player who is still tied to the club for two more seasons. For Perth, it is another sign that the club is targeting young talent first, then letting the contract timeline catch up later.