Cooper Bai has locked in a three-year deal with the Melbourne Storm from 2028, rejecting the PNG Chiefs after The Daily Telegraph confirmed his long-term commitment.
Zero Tackle, citing The Daily Telegraph, reported on Friday that the 19-year-old Titans forward is now officially committed to Melbourne for the 2028–2030 seasons.
Bai informed Gold Coast he would not extend beyond 2027 and attracted interest from the PNG Chiefs and Sydney Roosters before settling on Craig Bellamy’s side. He met the Chiefs in Port Moresby last week and opted against their three-year offer, Zero Tackle said.
Read more: Titans demand player swap if Bai wants to leave for Storm early
Early release still unresolved
Bai and his management are still working on a possible immediate release so he can join Melbourne for 2027. The Titans are understood to want a player coming the other way, with Storm forward Trent Loiero among the names floated in reporting.
TSB covered that swap demand on Thursday. Friday’s reporting sharpens the picture: the long-term Storm deal is treated as done, while 2027 timing remains a negotiation.
Melbourne had previously come close to signing Bai earlier in 2026 before he backflipped during a cooling-off period and re-committed to Gold Coast for another season.
Family ties and Bellamy’s pull
Bai’s father, Marcus Bai, won a premiership with the Storm in 1999 and now sits on the PNG Chiefs board. Marcus has said publicly he loves Melbourne but that Cooper’s future is Cooper’s decision, and that he is staying out of talks because of the conflict.
“Ideally, Cooper doesn’t want to sign with two clubs in two years,” Bai Snr told The Daily Telegraph last week, according to Zero Tackle. “You know where my heart is, obviously I love the Melbourne Storm, but this will be Cooper’s decision.”
The teenager is understood to want to develop under Bellamy and assistant Billy Slater. Storm chairman Matt Tripp said last week the club was definitely interested after nearly landing Bai previously.
Neither the Storm nor the Titans had issued an official signing statement confirming the 2028–2030 terms at the time of writing.
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