It has long been thought Lachlan Ilias will be the natural replacement for Adam Reynolds in the halves once 2022 rolls around, but incoming coach Jason Demetriou has thrown a spanner in the works.
The Rabbitohs will lose super coach Wayne Bennett and star half Adam Reynolds at the end of the season. Bennett doesn't have a contract yet, although has been heavily linked with the NRL's 17th team, an expansion announcement which Peter V'Landys and his team will announce in the coming weeks.
Reynolds is off to the Brisbane Broncos on what will likely be the final contract of his career.
Ilias, a natural-born half, played in the Round 25 clash with the St George Illawarra Dragons as he got a taste of first grade while Bennett rested a number of stars.
But young gun fullback Blake Taafe has thrown his hat into the ring to play in the halves next season.
The star has had the difficult task of replacing the suspended Latrell Mitchell throughout the finals series, and has been nothing short of impressive.
His ball-running from the back in particular has been something of a sight for sore eyes, while his creativity and passing game have made fans sit up and take notice.
Incoming coach Demetriou has also apparently been taking notice of his ball-playing skills, telling the media that Taafe wasn't out of the equation when it came to picking Reynolds' first-choice replacement for 2022.
โThat is a great headache to have,โ Demetriou said.
โWe have got a full pre-season to sit down and work on those things.
โBut Latrell is a pretty special player and he will be coming back into the side, thatโs for sure.
โBut Blake won the 20s competition as a halfback.
โHe spent the majority of his junior footy playing as a fullback.
โHe could play six, seven, one as we are seeing. He gives great versatility to our team.
โI am not in a position now to pigeonhole where his future lies but what I do know is he is a first grader and the rest will take care of itself.โ
The Rabbitohs have also signed Anthony Milford from the Broncos ahead of 2022, while Benji Marshall is also yet to make up his mind on his playing future.
Milford's form hasn't been what it once was in Brisbane, however, a one-year deal shows the Rabbitohs were willing to take a punt on him.
Ilias will want first-grade time, however, he has less experience in the top flight than Taafe now does, while the Milford situation is an intriguing one.
It had been reported the Rabbitohs viewed Milford as a replacement for Marshall's role off the bench, however, with Peter Mamouzelos also in the system, Demetriou will have multiple selection headaches on his hand as he tries to juggle the needs of players and find his best 17.
Taafe is set to line up this weekend in the NRL grand final, as the Rabbitohs take on the Penrith Panthers on Sunday evening in Brisbane. Team lists for the clash will be confirmed at 4pm (AEST) on Tuesday.
