Canterbury Bulldogs confirm 2025 development list

Will the Bulldogs get past the opening week of the finals?

The Canterbury Bulldogs have confirmed their development list for the 2025 NRL season as they attempt to advance past the opening week of the NRL Finals series.

The club’s General Manager of Football Phil Gould, confirmed on X that six players will be on the development list for next season: Fanafou Seve, Lipoi Hopoi, Joseph O’Neill, Jonathan Sua, Sosaia Alatini, and Logan Spinks.

Re-signing with the club for another season, Joseph O’Neill played in the halves in the Jersey Flegg Cup premiership-winning team and has registered several appearances in the NSW Cup.

Although he is likely to bide his time in the lower levels for the time being, he will provide some competition in the halves and will help provide backup for Matt Burton, Toby Sexton and Mitchell Woods.

Signed until 2026 after inking a contract extension, Lipoi Hopoi made his NRL debut in Round 13 this and will look to add more first-grade matches under his belt before being promoted to the Top 30 roster in 2026.

A local junior from St George Dragons in the Canterbury Bankstown district, he successfully came through the pathways system, which included playing in the Harold Matthews Cup, SG Ball Cup and Jersey Flegg Cup.

Another player on the development list who played in the NRL this year was winger Jonathan Sua, who made his debut in Round 27 and was even considered to play in the 2024 NRL Finals against Manly after Josh Addo-Carr’s late withdrawal.

The other three members on the development list are Fanafou Seve, Logan Spinks and Sosaia Alatini.

Progressing from a train and trial contract, Zero Tackle exclusively revealed that Spinks agreed to a three-year deal with the Bulldogs and will be on a development contract for the next two seasons.

Hailing from Tamworth, New South Wales, Spinks has been a part of the Bulldogs pathways system, playing for the Greater Northern Tigers in the Laurie Daley Cup and is one of the best second-rowers coming through the ranks.

Spinks is a 2023 Australian Schoolboys representative, while Fanafou Seve represented the NSW Blues in the annual U19s State of Origin match in June earlier this year and is touted for big things in the forward pack.