South Sydney Rabbitohs recruit Jonah Glover has revealed a blocked path to the NRL was behind his decision to leave the St George Illawarra Dragons during the off-season.
The halfback spent the entirety of 2025 in the NSW Cup where he guided the Dragons' reserve grade outfit to the grand final, playing alongside Lachlan Ilias and Lyhkan King-Togia.
Ilias has now moved to the Gold Coast Titans, but King-Togia, Kyle Flanagan and recruit Daniel Atkinson who arrives from the Cronulla Sharks all likely still would have been ahead of Glover, despite his reserve grade form.
Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald, he admitted a better chance of making his NRL debut was behind the move to South Sydney.
“It was a good year in Cup at the Dragons, I really enjoyed my time, but I felt like I was never going to make the NRL at the Dragons, so I moved to the Rabbitohs,” Glover told the publication.
“It was hard to get a look in. I felt like I played pretty well, but just didn't get the opportunity to play.
“Hopefully, next year I'll be able to make a stand and make my NRL debut.”
At South Sydney, Glover will find another challenge for spots.
Cody Walker has been re-signed to play five-eighth for 2026, leaving incumbent Jamie Humphreys, impressive youngster Ashton Ward and now permanent Rabbitoh Jayden Sullivan - another former Dragons junior prodigy - as well as Glover, to fight for a single spot in the number seven jumper.
Humphreys, given his form throughout an injury-hit 2025 campaign, will likely start with the number seven jumper.
He was not in the mix for the spot originally, but a strong pre-season, and now departed Lewis Dodd's struggles, meant he became the first choice for coach Wayne Bennett to partner Cody Walker in the halves, although the duo rarely played together owing to injuries.
Glover can play five-eighth as well as halfback and could consider himself a chance at the number six jersey if Walker continues to struggle to stay on the field.
Glover said being coached by Bennett was another part of the lure to shift to Maroubra.
“I'm pretty excited,” Glover said. “[Bennett] was actually a pretty big factor because obviously, I'm from Queensland and he was coaching the Queensland side.
“I was like, ‘Man, I would love to be coached by him' and as soon as I heard that it was possible to go to the Rabbitohs, I was like ‘Where do I sign?'"
The 22-year-old has played 48 reserve grade games.
