The South Sydney Rabbitohs are reportedly set to hand new deals to two of their most experienced players on their NRL roster as they prepare to build their roster for next season.
According toย The Sydney Morning Herald, Alex Johnston and Cody Walker are both set to sign one-year contract extensions with the Rabbitohs that will keep them at the club for 2026.
It is understood that the Rabbitohs were considering offering Walker a two-year extension, but the club decided against this due to injury issues, which has seen him miss multiple matches this season.
โCody plays to a very high standard so I don't see any reason why he can't continue,โ coach Wayne Bennett said at the end of last year.
โIt won't continue forever, I know that, butย Cameron Smithย showed us all you can playย NRLย at 37 and go well into your 30s.
โIf Cody is enjoying it, it doesn't have to be his last year. Cliff Lyons (Manly legend who retired from theย NRLย just shy of his 38th birthday) was a wonderful player and it wouldn't surprise me if he was still playing.
โThere are more 300-game players than ever, guys are playing much later in their careers because of the training and the high-performance programs. Cody hasn't had a lot of injuries in his career, so his body is in pretty good shape.
โHe is a great professional so I don't think next year will be his last year.โ
Meanwhile, Johnston, who is nearing Ken Irvine's all-time try-scoring record of 212, was offered to the Sydney Roosters by his manager but decided that he didn't want to play for another club other than the Rabbitohs, per The Herald.
"I know (Souths part-owner) Russell Crowe is really proud of him too," coach Wayne Bennett said viaย AAPย at the start of June.
"It's really important to him that Alex Johnston remains on the wing here as long as he can get the job done. And I feel the same.
"He means a lot to the fans. He looks like breaking a record that has been there for a long time. A great day for him, and it's not over yet."
