Souths were desperate to re-sign Koloamatangi. Here’s why they couldn’t

2 months ago 14

South Sydney fans are entitled to be devastated by the news Keaon Koloamatangi is on his way to NRL rivals St George Illawarra, but something had to give.

Their star forward has agreed to terms with the Dragons, who appear to have won the bidding war for the Kangaroos representative with a five-year deal estimated to be worth about $5 million from 2027.

Barring a late about-face during the 10-day cooling-off period, Koloamatangi will head to the Dragons, leaving Rabbitohs supporters with heavy hearts.

Koloamatangi was not only arguably the best at Souths last season, he’s also a local junior who played his first rugby league with Mascot Jets alongside Rabbitohs skipper Cameron Murray.

At 27, he is in the prime of his career, and coach Wayne Bennett’s decision to switch him from second row to prop last season only increased his value.

There are plenty of forwards who can handle 80 minutes on an edge, but those who can also play a full game in the middle – as Koloamatangi did on multiple occasions last season – are few and far between. His statistics (153 attacking metres and 33 tackles per game) are a reminder of what a dominant force he was in 2025.

Keaon Koloamatangi takes on the defence during his lone Origin appearance, in 2023.

That versatility and work-rate earned him three appearances in the green and gold during the Ashes series in England. Perhaps NSW coach Laurie Daley could have found room for him somewhere in his squad during the Blues’ unsuccessful Origin campaign?

All of which suggests that Koloamatangi is a player worth retaining. But Souths’ array of highly paid superstars meant that, at some point, the salary cap was going to bite.

South Sydney have many big earners including Murray, Latrell Mitchell, Jack Wighton, Brandon Smith, Campbell Graham, Cody Walker, Jai Arrow and Koloamatangi. David Fifita has also arrived on a two-year deal worth about $500,000 per season.

Fifita’s deal has been subsidised by a partial payout from his previous club, just as the Rabbitohs had to offer Englishman Lewis Dodd a financial sweetener to convince him to terminate his three-year contract and return to Super League. Payouts to former players count under a club’s salary cap.

Cameron Murray and Latrell Mitchell, Souths’ highest-paid players, made only 12 appearances between them last season.

Long story short, almost two thirds of Souths’ salary cap invested in one third of their squad, leaving about $4 million to accommodate the remaining 20 members of their top 30.

Eventually, some of the top-end talent was going to be squeezed out, and Koloamatangi’s career-best form last season ensured he was always going to attract outside interest.

If he hadn’t agreed to join the Dragons, who flew him to Wollongong in a helicopter to conduct negotiations, Parramatta were waiting with a similarly lucrative offer. The Perth Bears are also desperate for a marquee signing as they prepare to enter the NRL in 2027.

Signing Koloamatangi is a coup for Dragons coach Shane Flanagan.

As for the Rabbitohs, Bennett knows better than anyone that, while it’s handy to have game-breakers with a bit of X-factor, consistency is the key to long-term success. And in Koloamatangi, Souths are set to lose arguably their most consistent, reliable player.

Replacing him won’t be as simple pulling another Rabbitoh out of the hat, even for a coach with Bennett’s unrivalled experience.