Canterbury Bulldogs have confirmed that prop Ava Seumanufagai has left the club.
The 31-year-old former Leeds Rhinos man will now ‘pursue another opportunity’ elsewhere after the Bulldogs agreed to terms to release him from his contract.
Seumanufagai signed for Leeds in May 2019 and helped the club win the Challenge Cup final the following year.
The Rhinos had planned to keep him the forward prior to 2021, however the New Zealander desired a return home and subsequently signed for the Canterbury where he has remained since.
Reports earlier this week suggested Seumanufagai had left the club due to a disagreement, however the Bulldogs released a statement on Friday evening confirming his exit from the club adding it was an ‘amicable’ agreement.
The statement reads: “Much speculation has surrounded 141-game Bulldogs forward Ava Seumanufagai following the Club’s top 30 announcement this week where his name was omitted.
“Despite any speculation, Ava’s exit from the Club has been an amicable one as he leaves the NRL to pursue another opportunity.
“The Club had been in talks with Ava at the end of the 2022 season and agreed to terms to release him from his contract.”
Bulldogs CEO, Aaron Warburton, added: “Ava brought great energy and experience to Belmore. He was a leader amongst the younger players and was someone who always led the way in terms of his attitude at training and desire to improve.
“The Bulldogs would like to thank Ava for guiding his teammates and for his work ethic and contribution to our Club. We wish him and his family all the best for their future endeavours.”
