‘Sees his future at Belmore’: Bulldogs get their man in mid-season coup... after Flanno tirade

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The Bulldogs have snapped up rising forward Finau Latu in another mid-season boost that will only further help their premiership hopes.

Latu had already signed a three-year deal to join the Dogs, but the ladder-leaders have successfully negotiated a switch before the June 30 deadline.

The 19-year-old’s signing comes just three weeks after they landed Lachlan Galvin, who was actually Latu’s teammate in the 2023 Australian Schoolboys squad.

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“It was no surprise to see a number of clubs were after Finau’s services, but we’re very pleased that he sees his future at Belmore,” General Manager of Football Phil Gould said.

“He will have some exceptional mentors including Max King, Viliame Kikau and Kurt Mann just to name a few, and we believe that he can develop into a great player for the Bulldogs.”

It’s a disappointing blow for the Dragons, who were furious about losing the towering lock.

“I wanted to keep him and I’m not happy about the negotiation side of it,” coach Shane Flanagan said in April.

“It’s been handled poorly, terribly.

“Sometimes you lose them because you’re not willing to pay a certain fee, or you don’t want the player, but we wanted to keep him, and we’re not happy.

“The way that it was handled by his management, was handled poorly, really poorly.

“We’ve brought that young bloke up the last three or four years and we wanted to keep him and never got an opportunity to.”

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Latu joined the Dragons’ system in 2022 and went on to win the Harold Matthews premiership that same year.

He was also part of the Dragons’ premiership-winning SG Ball side last year before featuring in their Jersey Flegg and New South Wales Cup sides.

Latu has been missing in action due to a back injury with the Dragons confirming on Friday in a statement that the Bulldogs would take over his rehabilitation process.

“The Dragons can confirm that Finau Latu has been granted an immediate release from the remainder of his 2025 contract,” the club statement said.

“Latu has already signed with the Bulldogs for 2026 but will now join the club early. He is currently sidelined with a back injury and the move will allow his new club to take over his rehab process.

“The Dragons wish Finau all the best with the next chapter of his career.”

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