Fresh off extending the deals of Brendan Hands and Sean Russell, Parramatta have moved to lock down yet another player on their roster.
Kelma Tuilagi, who was due to come off-contract at the end of next season, has inked fresh terms to keep him at the Eels until at least the end of the 2026 campaign.
“Kelma is the kind of player we want in our squad – tough, competitive, and can break a tackle,” Parra’s General Manager of Football, Mark O’Neill, said.
“He looks at home at the Eels and we’re excited to have him on board for at least another year.”
Kelma Tuilagi signs one-year contract extension at Parramatta Eels
Tuilagi made his NRL debut back in 2021 for the Wests Tigers before going on to establish himself as a regular the following season.
However, his stay at Concord proved to be a short one as he jumped ship to Manly ahead of the 2023 campaign.
The Samoan international experienced a frustrating time with the Sea Eagles though during his sole season there with all of his metrics way down.
The Eels offered him a fresh start after he was granted an early release from Manly, but he had mixed success in his first year at the club.
Tuilagi made just 16 appearances as poor form, injuries and a lengthy suspension resulted in him spending plenty of time on the sidelines.
However, when he did get out onto the field he managed to start in the second row in seven of those matches, with the rest of his appearances coming via the bench.
These limited showings were clearly enough to impress incoming coach Jason Ryles, with the enforcer handed new terms.
The 25-year-old joins J’maine Hopgood and Matt Doorey in signing extensions, while new recruit Jack Williams is also tied to the club long term.
Although the picture isn’t quite as clear for some of his fellow backrowers, with Bryce Cartwright entering into the final year of his deal and Ryan Matterson having a player option in his contract for the 2026 campaign.