As Cody Walker runs off-contract at the end of this season and the Rabbitohs prepare to table him an extension, teammate Jayden Sullivan has backed the five-eighth to keep playing beyond 2025.
Currently, in the final season of his contract with the Rabbitohs on around $600,000, Walker is one of many free agents who are free to negotiate and speak with rival teams and is bound to gain traction if he continues performing at a high level.
Attempting to get the Bunnies back into the finals this year, he has made 215 appearances in first-grade since his NRL debut in 2016, following several seasons in the NSW Cup and QLD Cup.
Growing up watching and idolising Walker, Jayden Sullivan has backed his teammate to play beyond this season and believes that he will play for as long as he can if he is able to deliver consistent performances on the field and remain healthy.
Zero Tackle understands that the Rabbitohs are preparing to offer the five-time NSW Blues five-eighth a one-year extension to keep him at the club until at least the end of the 2026 NRL season.*
"He can play to 40 if he wants," Sullivan said.
"I grew up watching him and just to see what he does in the game and how he is as a person off the field is really special.
"In all the spine meetings we're just feeding off Cody and he's such a student of the game.
"He probably watches every game of football and comes in the next day asking about, did you watch the game?"
After a disappointing loss to the Cronulla Sharks over the weekend, the Rabbitohs will go head-to-head with the four-time defending premiers Penrith Panthers who will be without star duo Dylan Edwards and Nathan Cleary due to injuries.
In what is set to be a blockbuster clash, the Bunnies will enter the clash with the underdog tag but will be looking to make up for their inconsistent showing against the Sharks which saw their opponents score four tries in 29 minutes.
"We definitely took some positive (from Round 3). Rugby league's a weird sport. It's a game of two halves and we weren't up to scratch in the first ten minutes and that's where the game was won," Sullivan added.
"All the boys are proud of everyone's efforts in the second-half there...we can take a lot of positives from that second half."
