$800k plunge in Souths contract freeze with Latrell headache, shock coup on cards
The South Sydney Rabbitohs have frozen all contract negotiations for their NRL squad, with 18 players set to hit the open market in November. The club is currently prioritizing the retention of Tallis Duncan while managing injury setbacks and a difficult season.
Why it matters
This freeze creates significant uncertainty for the club's future roster and could trigger a major recruitment raid by rival NRL teams.
NRL NRL-PREMIERSHIP Souths’ shock $6m move in contract freeze... and why it could spark bombshell raid on bitter rival "Without Latrell, they can't win a comp" | 02:02 Daniel Nuttall from Fox Sports July 23rd, 2026 11:33 am South Sydney have reportedly put all contract talks bar one on hold despite facing a potential November 1 feeding frenzy from rival clubs.
No team in the NRL has more players coming off contract at the end of next season.
A total of 18 players will be free to negotiate with rivals from November 1 as South Sydney faces a huge retention task.
Among those on the list include Latrell Mitchell, David Fifita, Tallis Duncan and Campbell Graham.
But despite a potential exodus, Code Sports reports the club are only in active talks with one player with $6m worth of deals on hold.
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