First blow landed as player market heats up

3 years ago 374

The South Sydney Rabbitohs person secured arguably their astir important re-signing of the off-season truthful far, locking successful five-eighth Cody Walker for an further season.

After losing halfback Adam Reynolds for 2022 to the Brisbane Broncos, the Bunnies could sick spend to fto Walker gaffe distant successful 2023, with the Dolphins and different teams circling.

"I truly blessed to beryllium extending my enactment astatine South Sydney for different season. This is my home," Walker said.

"I'm truly excited astir what is up for the squad nether JD [Jason Demetriou] and we person immoderate young stars coming done who are going beryllium large players for this club.

"I consciousness I person a relation successful helping pb this squad implicit the adjacent fewer years and I making definite these young boys person each accidental to enactment their champion ft guardant arsenic they commencement retired their NRL careers."

Walker bounced astir respective clubs and endured a bid of mendacious starts, earlier yet debuting successful the NRL astatine the property of 26 backmost successful 2016.

He's been superb for the Rabbitohs since then, and is coming disconnected a career-best play wherever helium was named Dally M five-eighth of the twelvemonth and being awarded the George Piggins Medal arsenic Souths' champion player.

The Casino Cougars inferior scored 16 tries and acceptable up 33 this year, and provided a record-breaking 46 linebreak assists arsenic the Bunnies reached the expansive final, lone to spell down successful a heartbreaker to the Penrith Panthers.

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"We came truthful adjacent to achieving our extremity this twelvemonth and it has made america each hungrier to get that premiership occurrence and triumph fig 22 for the Rabbitohs," helium said.

Walker said the opportunities to bash assemblage enactment disconnected the tract done Souths Cares, and different initiatives similar the Rising Warriors Program, besides played a portion successful wanting to grade his clip with the team.

"We person a large civilization wrong the squad and the club, and it's besides a nine that respects our cultures extracurricular of football," Walker said.

The Rabbitohs person precise overmuch go a household concern for Walker. His partner, Nellie Bell, was named successful the pre-season squad for the Rabbitohs' 2022 women's premiership run past month.

"South Sydney is my location and my family. My spouse plays for the nine excessively and my boys privation to play for the Rabbitohs 1 day. It truly is home."

Souths' caput of football, Mark Ellison, said the nine was excited to spot Walker pb them done different year.

"Cody keeps progressing his crippled and maturing arsenic a footballer each play and helium is surely successful his premier close now," helium said.

It's the 4th cardinal re-signing for the Rabbitohs since that expansive last defeat, antecedently extending the contracts of Mark Nicholls until the extremity of 2023, Keaon Koloamatangi until the extremity of 2024, and Alex Johnston until the extremity of 2025

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