The South Sydney Rabbitohs have confirmed two new signings for next season, which will see them promoted through to the club's Top 30 roster in 2026.
It has been announced by the Rabbitohs that Gerome Burns and Max McCarthy have signed two-year contracts with the club that will see them spend the first season on a development contract before moving to the Top 30 roster in the following season.
A mature-age recruit, Gerome Burns will join the squad after spending the last six years in the QLD Cup with the Souths Logan Magpies, Ipswich Jets and Norths Devils - a team he is currently plying his trade for.
Although he has yet to play in the NRL, he is the perfect backup playmaker for Cody Walker and Lewis Dodd, having earned numerous honours throughout his career to date.
These honours include representing the U18s QLD and U20s QLD Maroons teams, being named the Mal Meninga Cup Player of the Year in 2015 and 2016 and currently leading the votes for the Petero Civoniceva Medal - an award given to the QLD Cup's Player of the Year.
He also spent time with the Brisbane Broncos in 2020 and played a single pre-season match for The Dolphins at the beginning of this season.
โWe're very excited to be bringing these three players to our Club in 2025 as we believe they all have what it takes to play in the NRL,โ Rabbitohs Head of Football Mark Ellison said in a statement.
โGerome is an experienced player in the second-tier level of the game and is ready to make the step up to the higher levels of the sport.
"We've been impressed by him as a person and as a player and he had an opportunity to play in the NRL pre-season challenge with the Dolphins earlier this year.
Burns' arrival will see him joined by Max McCarthy who will arrive from the Cronulla Sharks pathways system.
Pushing for an NRL debut in the coming seasons, McCarthy was the Sharks SG Ball Cup Players' Player of the Year this season, having previously won the Harold Matthews Cup Coaches Award, guiding them to the Grand Final in 2022.
This season, he has been a key member of the Sharks' Jersey Flegg Cup roster where he can be seen either on the edge of the field in the second-row or in the middle of the pack as a front-rower.
โMax is a young player who is ready to learn and ready to take the next step in his development, and we're excited that his opportunity will be with us at South Sydney," Ellison added.
โHe has size, skill and is a strong defender; all things that we are looking for in our forwards rotation.
"The full-time training opportunity will accelerate his development and provide him with opportunities to progress towards an NRL debut.
โWe're looking forward to having Lachlan, Gerome and Max join us in November and we wish them the best of luck for the remainder of their seasons in 2024.โ
