Keaon Koloamatangi has confirmed his NRL future, signing a contract extension with the South Sydney Rabbitohs until at least the end of the 2026 season.
Already contracted for next season, Koloamatangi will remain at the club for a further two years, with the club announcing on Thursday he has re-signed.
The official decision by Koloamatangi comes after he was hunted by both the St George Illawarra Dragons and Canberra Raiders.
However, the two teams have been beaten out of the race by the Rabbitohs who have extended the State of Origin debutant and Tongan representative who is currently in England with the national squad ahead of a three-Test series tenure.
“It means the world to me and my family to be re-signing with the Rabbitohs,” Koloamatangi said.
“We had a bit to think about going into November 1 and I wanted to get something done before then with the Club.
“I'm grateful that everything has panned out. My family and I are happy and we think that Souths is the best place to be for our future.
“There's massive belief here that we can win comps. We've been very close in recent years so I didn't want to leave and throw away all of the hard work we've done, as well as the hard work we have in front of us. That's not in my DNA.
“The Rabbitohs are always in the forefront of my mind and I want to win at least one comp here before I retire.”
Head of Football at the Rabbitohs, Mark Ellison spoke about the back rower's valuableness at the club.
“Keaon has worked so hard to achieve what he has so far in the game and he is a great example of how hard work and persistence can pay off,” Mr Ellison said.
“He's risen through the ranks at South Sydney and broke through for a first grade position in the COVID-affected year of 2020. He's had ups and downs with injury through the early stages of his career but he has become a true professional and is now reaping the rewards on and off the field.
“He's represented his Country and State and the next thing on his list to achieve is a Premiership with the Rabbitohs. He has the work ethic and the want to achieve this with his teammates and he will play a key role in any success we have as a Club.
“He grew up alongside another South Sydney man in Cameron Murray and nothing would please us more than to see these two achieve their goals alongside each other and their teammates this coming year and into the future.
“Off field he is engaged to the beautiful Heavenly and they have started a family with the arrival last year of their daughter Psalms.
“Everyone at the Rabbitohs loves working with Keaon and we can't wait to see the heights he can achieve in the coming seasons in red and green.”
