In-demand prop Keaon Koloamatangi is expected to finalise a decision on his future in the coming days after South Sydney tabled a four-year extension they believe is competitive with the big money on offer from NRL rivals.
The 27-year-old Kangaroos star has a massive call in the midst of a three-way race for his signature.
He’s considering monster deals from Parramatta, St George Illawarra and also Souths after the club met with Koloamatangi and his management last week to table their best and final offer.
The Rabbitohs are desperate to keep the homegrown Mascot Jets junior and are quietly confident they can compete with the massive dollars on offer from the Eels and Dragons, with both clubs believed to have offered him around $1 million a season.
It’s just a matter of where he sees himself in the prime of his career.
In terms of contract length, Souths’ offer of a four-year extension from 2027 matches the Eels’ big bid, which is believed to be the front-runner, but falls short of the audacious five-year deal put forward by the Dragons.
Souths have been willing to be patient as their star prop tests his value on the market but believe they have money-can’t buy value on offer.
The added enticement of stable coaching under Wayne Bennett, who is expected to extend his time at the club through to the end of 2028, and the chance to be a one-club player with his junior club are other considerations on the table.
However, the lure of a change of scenery, new coach, bigger challenge or the potential for a bigger payday elsewhere could draw him away from South Sydney for the first time since he made his first grade debut with the club back in 2020.
His decision is expected to be the last major NRL market play of 2025 and comes at the best possible time in the peak of his career.
After making a switch from the edge to the middle this season under the advisement of Bennett, Koloamatangi’s form hit new heights with the Rabbitohs and he emerged as one of the form forwards in the competition in a difficult year of injuries and disruptions for the club.
So good was his form he did enough to earn a long-awaited Australian debut, which has come two years after he played one game of State of Origin in 2023 in Brad Fittler’s final series as coach of NSW.
In 2025 Koloamatangi played 20 games and scored four tries with Souths, which caught the eye of Kangaroos selectors and he joined the side on the history making Ashes Tour of England at the end of the season.
Replies
At the end of the day that will just make south's pay top dollar for him and put strain on their cap 😂 we can't really lose in this situation. Make our best offer and if he wants to be at Parra he'll take it. Either way we moving in the right direction
I hope so mate, so long as we're only prepared to pay what we think he's worth. If he ends up with us on our terms fantastic, if he goes somewhere else on a ludicrous salary that's a good outcome as well. Nothing wrong with your opinions mate, keep 'em coming.
Was never leaving Souths. Just squeezing them for all he can.
If he stays at Souths for that amount, then god help them as their cap is screwed. They are desperate for middles, but have so much money tied up on Mitchell, Gray, Campbell, Fifita (still a lot of money with GC pitching in), Murray, Wighton, Arrow, Tatola etc.
They have another injury season, their depth will be stretched again.
They have no spine, all their money is tied up in that shit 😂
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