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New South Wales State of Origin centre and winger William Hopoate has put pen to paper with the Canterbury Bulldogs, signing a two-year deal which will see him at the club until the end of the 2017 season.
Hopoate moves to the Bulldogs from the Parramatta Eels, where he has played for the previous two seasons, before a contract dispute made his position untenable.
Hopoate will be competing for a backline spot with the likes of Brett and Josh Morris, Sam Perrett, Chase Stanley and Jacob Loko.
It’s a big signing for the Bulldogs, adding even more talent to a team that only two years ago reached the NRL grand final. The Bulldogs were knocked out in the second round of the 2015 NRL finals series after finishing fifth at the end of the regular season.
Hopoate will be looking to improve on what he produced at Parramatta, where he played 38 games but only scored seven tries. He struggled for form and to find his place in the team, particularly throughout the back half of the 2015 season.
If he can reach his potential at Canterbury, Hopoate will return to his former status as one of the most exciting players in the game – a title he earned at Manly, before leaving the game to take up a one-year Mormon mission.
The son of former Sea Eagle John Hopoate, Will made his first-grade debut with Manly in Round 10 of the 2010 season, going on to score 14 tries in 22 games and representing New South Wales in 2011.
Hopoate has also represented the City Origin on two occasions in the annual City vs Country selection trial.
Both Bulldogs CEO Raelene Castle and coach Des Hasler gave their new signing glowing endorsements.
“Will is an exciting young player who has already achieved so much in the game,” Castle said.
Hasler added, “Will will be a valuable and experienced acquisition for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and I look forward to him joining the club.”
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