Following the departure of Isaiah Papali'i (Penrith Panthers) and John Bateman (North Queensland Cowboys), playmaker Jayden Sullivan will become the third Wests Tigers player to be released from the remainder of his contract.
Signing with the club last season on a four-year contract worth around $2.4 million, Sullivan spent the majority of this season in the NSW Cup and was overlooked in favour of young guns Lachlan Galvin and Latu Fainu.
Only 23, rumours emerged throughout the year that CEO Shane Richardson was trying to offload him out of the club, and it was understood that the Wests Tigers were willing to offer him $900,000 to leave the club to free up a spot in their Top 30 as they continue to rebuild their roster.
After undergoing a medical with the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Sullivan will link up with the team on January 6 but could return to the Tigers due to a one-of-a-kind clause, per The Daily Telegraph.
According to the publication, Sullivan will spend the 2025 NRL season with the Rabbitohs but has the option to remain at the Rabbitohs for the following season or return to the Wests Tigers.
If he decides to remain under Wayne Bennett for the 2026 NRL season, he can rejoin the Wests Tigers for the 2027 NRL season to play out the final season of his contract.
Sullivan's arrival at the Rabbitohs will see him compete with new recruit Lewis Dodd to partner Cody Walker in the halves. However, he will likely be used as the first-choice back-up following the departure of Dean Hawkins and Lachlan Ilias to the Parramatta Eels and St George Illawarra Dragons.
The move also means that Brisbane Broncos playmaker Jock Madden won't be joining the team despite being heavily linked to them after he was granted permission to speak with rival teams.
Told that he is free to leave if he finds a new home elsewhere, Madden's imminent departure comes as the Broncos look to free up some space in their salary cap after offering big-money contracts to the likes of Ben Hunt, Brendan Piakura, Ezra Mam and Reece Walsh.
This comes as multiple stars such as Blake Mozer, Kotoni Staggs, and Selwyn Cobbo will be off-contract at the end of next season, and they look to keep as many stars on their roster as possible.
1. Latrell Mitchell
2. Alex Johnston
3. Campbell Graham
4. Jack Wighton
5. Tyrone Munro
6. Cody Walker
7. Lewis Dodd
8. Tevita Tatola
9. Peter Mamouzelos
10. Davvy Moale
11. Keaon Koloamatangi
12. Jai Arrow
13. Cameron Murray
Interchange
14. Josh Schuster
15. Euan Aitken
16. Tallis Duncan
17. Lachlan Hubner
Rest of squad
18. Haizyn Mellars
19. Thomas Fletcher
20. Sean Keppie
21. Jamie Humphreys
22. Jye Gray
23. Jacob Host
24. Siliva Havili
25. Shaquai Mitchell
26. Ben Lovett
27. Isaiah Tass
28. Jayden Sullivan
29. No player signed.
30. No player signed.
2025 development list
1. Liam Le Blanc
2. Gerome Burns
3. Max McCarthy
4. Fletcher Myers
5. Nazareth Taua