The Gold Coast Titans are looking to get a player back the other way as Cooper Bai prepares to head south to join the Melbourne Storm, in a swap that will see him tear up his 2027 contract with the club.
Bai is signed for next year, but is looking to exit the Titans a year early if he can find a new team. The Storm were interested immediately, tabling a three-year deal through to 2030, and are happy to pay to get the 19-year-old early. The Roosters and Chiefs had also been in the race for at least a few weeks.
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Trade-wise, the Gold Coast has asked for either Queensland prop Trent Loiero or potentially Jack Howarth if Melbourne doesn’t want to do a forward-for-forward swap.
If all this is feeling like dejavu you’d be right—Bai had already agreed to a three-year deal with Melbourne last preseason, only to backflip during his 10-day cooling-off period after new coach Josh Hannay sat down with him.
Things have obviously changed again, with those close to Bai saying the main reason he wants to leave is so that he can learn from supercoach Craig Bellamy.
Melbourne chairman Matt Tripp last week told the Courier Mail that they were hopeful things were close to wrapping up, with expectations at the Victorian club that Bai will be available to join for preseason soon.
“We’ve had some discussions with Cooper, and we’re definitely interested. We nearly got Cooper last time, he was really close to signing with us, and then he had a change of heart. Obviously, his situation has changed, so hopefully he sees his future with us. We would love him at the Storm,” Tripp said.
Bai’s father, Marcus, won a premiership with the Storm in 1999, but now sits on the Papua New Guinea Chiefs, so there were some split loyalties for the young gun.
“Ideally, Cooper doesn’t want to sign with two clubs in two years [Storm and Chiefs]. You know where my heart is, obviously, I love the Melbourne Storm, but this will be Cooper’s decision,” Bai Snr said last week.
“The Storm have been a great club for a long time, and I think Cooper will learn a lot with guys like Craig Bellamy and [assistant coach] Billy Slater.
“But I am staying out of [it] because it’s a conflict of interest as a PNG board member.”
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