South Sydney Rabbitohs veteran winger Alex Johnston is poised to become the game's greatest ever try-scorer, and even if it doesn't happen this year, it's now likely it will happen at the Maroubra-based club.
Johnston is off-contract at the end of 2025 and has been able to negotiate with rival outfits since November 1, but has now indicated to News Corp that a contract extension with South Sydney is close.
One of the game's greatest ever wingers, now just a handful of tries off the record owned by Ken Irvine, Johnston missed the start of 2025 recovering from an Achilles injury, and then suffered another shoulder problem in his first game, but has still managed to cross for 11 tries in his 9 games to date this year, including four against the Melbourne Storm in Round 16.
The outside back has 206 tries in total, and while he almost left the Rabbitohs once before when the club weren't going to renew his contract, it seems as if the same mistake won't be made this time over the future of the 30-year-old.
“It's underway. We're chatting to Souths and we're getting very close,” Johnston was quoted as saying by News Corp.
“I'm pretty confident it will happen.
“That was another aspect to the last 12 months was that I have a young family and not knowing what was going to happen (with my NRL career), so it's good that Souths have indicated they want to keep me.
“I'm trying to be around for a couple of years longer, so hopefully we can sort that out soon.”
It's unclear at this stage how many years the deal will last for, or whether Johnston may be taking a pay cut given the issues surrounding South Sydney's top-heavy salary cap.
Some of that pressure may be eased if five-eighth Cody Walker hangs up the boots at the end of the season, with his 2025 campaign constantly being put under stress by injuries.
