Star South Sydney Rabbitohs forward Keaon Koloamatangi has revealed no deal will be done for his future prior to November 1, but that his ideal outcome is to remain at Redfern.
Despite a disastrous second half of the 2023 campaign, the Rabbitohs second-rower was still among the club's best and made his State of Origin debut during Game 3 of this year's series.
Part of the only Blues win in this year's series, Koloamatangi is now joining the Tongan squad as they head to England for a historic three-match series.
The second-rower, in his 18 games for the Rabbitohs this year, scored 5 tries, added 15 offloads and ran for an average of 126 metres per game.
There is little to no doubt that Koloamatangi, if he hits the open market, will become one of the game's highest-paid forwards on the back of his form in recent seasons.
His contract, which is due to expire at the end of 2024, is believed to be a priority for Jason Demetriou and his recruitment staff at Redfern, but the forward told News Corp that it won't be happening before he returns from England in early November.
โMy manager has been doing that, he knows that I have been going away touring, so I'm letting him do all that (extension talks),โ Koloamatangi told the publication.
โMe and my manager Ty, we have a great relationship, he's been my manager since I was 15 so I trust him with my life. I know he'll do the best for me.
โI'll probably make a decision when I come back from England.โ
The forward admitted he wanted to stay with the Rabbitohs and hasn't spoken to any rival clubs, however, delaying past November 1 means he will almost certainly field offers.
It has previously been reported that both the St George Illawarra Dragons and Canberra Raiders will be among the rival outfits to make plays for the forward, which could range upwards of $800,000 per year.
