Wayne Bennett remaining calm after PNG’s latest raid
Jasper Bruce |
South Sydney appear the most vulnerable to a PNG poaching raid but coach Wayne Bennett is remaining calm in the face of the NRL’s forthcoming 19th team.
As things stand, a league-high 20 members of Souths’ top-30 roster for 2027 will be able to negotiate with the Chiefs or other rival clubs from November.
Only six players who have played for Souths in 2026 hold a contract for the Chiefs’ first season in 2028: Ashton Ward, Cameron Murray, Lachlan Hubner, Jye Gray, Junior Tatola and Dayne Jennings.
Latrell Mitchell, David Fifita, Brandon Smith and Jack Wighton are among the star Rabbitohs set to hit the open market in November.
The Chiefs’ potency at the negotiation table was reiterated this week as four-time premiership winner Brian To’o joined Jarome Luai, Zac Lomax, Connor Watson and Alex Johnston in signing a tax-free deal.
Bennett has been the most vocal critic of the Chiefs’ salary cap concessions, designed to help entice players to relocate to the developing Pacific nation.
But the super coach said he was not losing sleep over the Rabbitohs’ roster situation, even as November 1 draws nearer.
“It’s one of the least things I worry about,” he said.
“It’s a process and you’ve just got to stay with the process. Someone’s signing somewhere and someone’s getting so much somewhere else, it’s not really something you have to worry about.
“If you value a player and they value the club, nine times out of 10, you get a deal done. You don’t have to rush into it.”
More pressingly, the club is in talks to extend both Jamie Humphreys and Sean Keppie beyond 2026, while veteran five-eighth Cody Walker has not yet decided whether he will play on in 2027.
The Rabbitohs have given Isaiah Tass and Peter Mamouzelos permission to test the open market amid their roster squeeze.
That could also help the Rabbitohs retain Matt Dufty after powerbrokers initially made peace with needing to let the fullback go following this season.
Dufty arrived from the Super League on a NSW Cup contract this year and pushed Gray out of fullback with his excellent form.
It has left the Rabbitohs hoping to squeeze another player out of the roster to retain him.
“It will take that,” Bennett said.
“It’s probably an off-season thing before we can get it finalised but we’re trying to make way to get him in.”
SOUTH SYDNEY PLAYERS OUT OF CONTRACT AFTER 2027:
Euan Aitken, Salesi Ataata^*, Tallis Duncan, David Fifita, Thomas Fletcher, Bronson Garlick, Jonah Glover, Campbell Graham, Matthew Humphries*, Elijah Keung*, Ed Kosi, Peter Mamouzelos, Latrell Mitchell, Tyrone Munro, Talanoa Penitani*, Latrell Siegwalt*, Brandon Smith, Jayden Sullivan, Isaiah Tass, Jack Wighton
*set to be promoted to top 30 roster in 2027
^club option for 2027
AAP