Hobbled superstar complicating Bennett’s biggest Bunnies problem
South Sydney had a golden chance to make a deep run into September, but squandered their opportunity in a shock elimination final defeat.
Granted, the in-form Rabbitohs did lose their most creative player, Cody Walker, to a calf injury during the first half – but they were already on the back foot against the Knights before he hobbled off at Allianz Stadium.
Cody Walker’s injury was a sad sight for Bunnies fans. NRL Imagery
Walker had managed to get through the entire season without injury, playing 23 of the Bunnies’ 24 matches, only missing one through suspension.
The five-eighth turns 37 before next season begins and as it stands, he hasn’t signed a new contract and his future at Redfern remains clouded.
Wayne Bennett remains adamant the club want to keep Walker, who has played all of his 247 first grade games in the famous cardinal and myrtle jersey.
“It’s the first game he’s missed all season. He’s done really well for us, so there’s no problems there ... we’d like him back,” Bennett told media on Friday night.
The likelihood is Walker will ink a one-year extension and given both his age and injury history in recent years, despite staying mostly fit in 2026, Souths wouldn’t need to spend too much money in order to keep him on their roster.
But perhaps the biggest question mark Bennett and the club face heading into the pre-season are some of the moving pieces around Walker.
Ashton Ward appeared to have cemented himself in the No.7 jersey before going down with a hamstring injury, opening the door for Jayden Sullivan to take his place for the last few rounds, and the finals loss to Newcastle.
Sullivan struggled to stand up when needed, especially after Walker left the field on Friday, which will likely see him shuffled down the pecking order.
Souths have some talented playmakers coming through in the lower grades in Matt Humphries and Taj Alvarez, but both youngsters are unproven commodities when it comes to playing week-in, week-out at NRL level.
Jamie Humphreys is the other halfback option at Souths, but he is yet to re-sign with the club for 2027 after reportedly knocking back the Perth Bears.
His future at the club might not be in the halves anyway – he spent some of the year as a bench utility and given Brandon Smith’s inability to play big minutes at hooker, Humphreys could find himself deputising at dummy-half.
Jonah Glover is also signed for 2027, but he didn’t get a look-in this season and it’s unlikely he would force his way into a full-strength side.
Externally, the lingering rumours around Tom Dearden moving to Sydney and potentially linking up with Bunnies won’t go away, while the likes of Sam Walker, Nathan Cleary, Zane Harrison and Ethan Sanders could be available for 2028.
Then there’s the fullback spot, which divided Rabbitohs fans towards the back-end of the season after Matt Dufty pipped Jye Gray for the crucial position.
Tom Dearden’s future remains a huge talking point. Getty Images
Dufty enjoyed a strong return to the NRL after a few years in the Super League and his ball-playing and speed was a clear asset, giving Souths some added creativity that Gray hasn’t quite nailed early in his career.
But in the loss to the Knights, the 30-year-old was less effective than he had been in previous appearances, leading to questions over why Gray wasn’t there.
It’s clear that Gray is the long-term option and he’s signed with the club on pretty good money until the end of 2029, but the truth is he was outplayed and lost his spot to a veteran who only joined the Bunnies on a training contract.
Bennett has gone on the record to say he would like to keep Dufty at the club, but it remains to be seen whether Souths have enough room in the salary cap.
Interestingly, when Souths held a presentation last week for their departing players, Dufty wasn’t named among a group that included Keaon Koloamatangi, who has signed a five-year deal with the Dragons worth $5 million.
Speaking of the star front-rower and local junior, it’s safe to say Koloamatangi will leave a hole in the Rabbitohs’ squad both on and off the field.
“He’s gonna be a big loss, he’s been a 150-game player for us, the players love playing with him and he’s an 80-minute player,” Bennett said post-game.
Keaon Koloamatangi has played his last game for the Rabbitohs. Getty Images
Rabbitohs captain Cameron Murray, who has played alongside Koloamatangi from a young age all the way through to the NRL, admitted it would be a significant change for the squad and him personally to deal with.
“It’s gonna be a bit weird not running out next to him next year – it hasn’t even really sunk in yet,” Murray said after Friday night’s loss.
“Big loss for us, big gain for St George. He’s earned everything that he’s got, he’s been a quiet achiever his whole life and he just gets better every year, proves people wrong and setting the bar higher and higher for himself.
“It’s another great challenge for him next year. I’m sure he’ll go to another level and prove to everyone how great a front-rower he is.
“It’s been an awesome few years wearing the red and green and in the two blues back in the day for Mascot Jets, so it’ll be a bit weird not running out next to him, but we’ll miss him and wish him all the best for a big future.”
While he’s been one of the heart and soul members of the Rabbitohs since making his debut, the club has landed a pretty handy replacement for Koloamatangi in the form of Broncos superstar and the game’s best prop, Payne Haas.
“We’ve got a guy named Has coming, so the hole’s not that deep,” Bennett said.
Payne Haas will join South Sydney next year. Getty Images
Haas has been an absolute colossus for Brisbane since making his debut as a teenager under Bennett, winning the club’s player of the year award a record six times and leading the Broncos towards a drought-breaking 2025 title.
However, few would argue that Koloamatangi enjoyed a better season than Haas and actually averaged more run metres per game than the Broncos star.
As far as like-for-like replacements go, bringing in Haas for Koloamatangi is about as good as it gets for Souths and they will lose very little in the middle.
The final issue at the Bunnies is the fitness of Latrell Mitchell, which has become a recurring theme since he joined the club from the Roosters in 2020.
Mitchell has played just two more games in seven seasons with Souths than he did in four seasons with the Tricolours, where he won two premierships.
Arguably the biggest star in the NRL, the 29-year-old is on a sizeable contract for next season with Souths and there’s an expectation he may need to take a pay cut, especially when you consider the value for money, or lack thereof, that the club has managed to get out of Mitchell over an extended period.
Latrell Mitchell had a limited impact in 2026. Getty Images
When he’s fit and firing, Mitchell is the most influential player in the game, but the problem for the Rabbitohs is that he isn’t fit and firing often enough.
Souths are well-stocked in the centres with Jack Wighton and Campbell Graham both representative-level players, while young guns Talanoa Penitani and Dayne Jennings have enormous futures in the outside backs and Tyrone Munro could still be a star, pending his ongoing legal battle and NRL no-fault stand-down.
But without their $1.1 million man Mitchell, there’s no chance Souths can win a premiership next season and that will remain a major talking point.
Rabbitohs’ predicted 2027 team
1. Jye Gray 2. Alex Johnston 3. Latrell Mitchell 4. Jack Wighton 5. Campbell Graham 6. Cody Walker 7. Ashton Ward 8. Payne Haas 9. Brandon Smith 10. Junior Tatola 11. David Fifita 12. Tallis Duncan 13. Cam Murray 14. Jamie Humphreys 15. Lachlan Hubner 16. Euan Aitken 17. Sean Keppie 18. Matt Dufty 19. Thomas Fletcher
