Talanoa 2009-10 Contract Extension
25th March 2008
The South Sydney Rabbitohs have re-signed boom outside-back Fetuli Talanoa until the end of the 2010 season, signaling the Club's intentions to shore up its junior talent for future years. Talanoa, 20, came through the Rabbitohs junior representative sides and has cemented himself a place in the Rabbitohs backline over the past 12 months. Talanoa took over the fullback role in the Club?s charge to the 2007 finals series, and has played in the fullback, wing and centre positions for the Rabbitohs so far in the Club's Centenary season.
Rabbitohs Director of Football Operations, Shane Richardson, said Talanoa?s re-signing shows the Club's commitment to retaining its talented juniors. "Fetuli has shown his continued allegiance to the Club by re-signing until the end of 2010, and we want to reward our talented young players with extended contracts," Mr Richardson said. "He has proven himself to be a consistent first-grade player over the past two seasons and we believe he can develop his skills even further to higher representative honours. Fetuli was chased heavily by rival Clubs and he has re-signed with us for less money, showing his loyalty to the Rabbitohs and the confidence there is in the Club from the playing ranks. He is a great talent and we're very pleased he will be wearing the red and green for at least two more seasons after this one, and wherever possible we will be re-signing our junior stars to longer deals, especially when they want to stay with the Club. We believe we can build our Club around these young players."
Talanoa joins John Sutton, Nathan Merritt and Craig Wing as South Sydney juniors who have signed extended deals with the Club, with Sutton, Merritt and Wing all signing with the Club until the end of the 2011 season.