The South Sydney Rabbitohs have signed outstanding young QLD Cup prospect Mitchell Buckett for seasons 2013 and 2014 this week, adding to the Club’s backline stocks for the next two seasons. Buckett, 20, is a centre or winger with the Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles, whose junior club is the Caboolture Snakes, and he is a qualified carpenter. Standing 189cm tall and weighing 93kg, Buckett was the Sunshine Coast’s Colts Player of the Year in 2011, earning him a seven-week stint training with the full-time squad at the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles. Buckett will be aiming to emulate 2013 team mates such as Greg Inglis, Chris McQueen, Dave Tyrrell and Justin Hunt who all plied their trade in the QLD Cup before playing in the NRL, and will be trying to force his way into the Rabbitohs backline for the Return to Redfern pre-season match against the Papua New Guinea Kumuls in February next year. Rabbitohs Head Coach Michael Maguire is excited to have Buckett joining the Rabbitohs squad later this year. “Our Recruitment Manager Mark Hughes went to have a look at him recently on the back of some promising reports from our eyes in Queensland and we made an offer to Mitch based on what we’ve seen of his performances for the Sunshine Coast,” Coach Maguire said. “He’s very much in the Matt King mould – tall, rangy and can find a second burst of pace. He’s aggressive in defence and attack and we’re keen to see what he can produce following a full pre-season with us leading into Christmas and in the New Year.”