Jennings, Alvarez, Ballard, Hill, Anitelea Tsioussis, Kaberry juniors Sign
31st Jul 2025
The South Sydney Rabbitohs had six players feature at the recent Australian Secondary Schools Rugby League championships held in Coffs Harbour, with young gun centre Dayne Jennings earning selection in the Australian Schoolboys squad for 2025. It is just the start of the story behind the renovation and rejuvenation of the Rabbitohs’ pathways system over the past nine months under the watchful eye of Rabbitohs Head of Pathways, David Furner, Head of Recruitment and Retention, Mark Ellison, and the entire pathways department, which saw our SG Ball Cup under 19s men’s and Harold Matthews Cup under 17s boys’ sides reach preliminary finals in their respective competitions, and has seen the Rabbitohs development and recruitment continue to spread throughout the country and internationally in an effort to produce strength at the top levels of the game over a sustained period of time.
Dayne Jennings
Jennings was one of the standout performers for South Sydney in this year’s SG Ball Cup competition, playing ten games and scoring five tries on their way to a preliminary finals berth in the competition. Jennings was rewarded for his strong form at the ASSRL Championships with selection in the Australian Schoolboys team for 2025, a wonderful achievement for the young Rabbitoh. Jennings, whose main attributes are his strong and aggressive running style and ability to prise open a defensive line, remains contracted to the Rabbitohs on a NSWRL contract for the 2026 season before being elevated to an NRL Supplementary List contract in 2027. Jennings said he chose South Sydney by applying for an open trial two years ago. "I put in (an application) to trial. Brent (Rabbitohs Pathways Recruitment Manager Brent Hill) recognised my name from the school trials and put it straight through," Jennings said. "(I might get) a game of (Jersey) Flegg (Cup this year) and I’ve got a game for school on 13 August and the Aussie Schoolboys against PNG on 12 October. It will be tough, but it will be a good game."
Taj Alvarez
Taj Alvarez is a tall and sleek five-eighth that played for Combined High Schools (CHS) at the ASSRL Championships in 2025, selected from Tuggerah Lakes Secondary College and the Terrigal-Wamberal Sharks on the NSW Central Coast. Alvarez, 18, joined the Rabbitohs for the 2025 SG Ball Cup under 19s competition, flourishing at that level as indicated by winning the Rabbitohs’ Players’ Player award for the SG Ball Cup team this season, having played in all 11 matches, scoring 13 tries and kicking one goal for a total of 54 points for the season. Alvarez was elevated to the Rabbitohs Jersey Flegg Cup under 21s squad at the completion of the SG Ball Cup competition, playing two games at the higher level before the ASSRL Championships. A skilful runner with dynamic speed in the halves, Alvarez has committed to the Rabbitohs for the long term, signing a NSWRL contract for seasons 2026 and 2027 before being elevated to an NRL Supplementary List contract for 2028 and an NRL Top 30 contract for 2029. Alvarez is keen to continue his journey with the Rabbitohs. "It was great to get my first year of rep footy with the (Rabbitohs) boys. They’re a great bunch," Alvarez said.
Cody Hill
Hill has committed to the Rabbitohs for the 2026 season where he will look to further develop his game at the SG Ball Cup and Jersey Flegg Cup under 21s levels. Hill is keen to continue his family’s connection with South Sydney. "It was a heaps good experience (playing SG Ball Cup this year.) We had the best group of boys," Hill said. "I have another year of SG Ball and hopefully we can do the same or go even further and make the grand final. I’m playing at the same club where my dad debuted and hopefully I get to debut as well."
Josh Ballard
Ballard has been part of the Rabbitohs junior representative system for the past two seasons, playing Harold Matthews Cup in 2024 and SG Ball Cup in 2025. This season he played seven matches at the SG Ball Cup level, scoring six tries including a four-try haul against the North Sydney Bear in round six. Ballard has committed to the Rabbitohs for the 2026 and 2027 seasons. "It was fun (the season in SG Ball). All the older boys made it a really good culture and it was really comforting for everyone, especially being with Cody (Hill) who I grew up playing with," Ballard said. "I’m training with Flegg which has been good. I’m looking forward to doing more with Souths."
Keone Anitelea Tsioussis
Keone Anitelea Tsioussis is an extremely versatile player, equally adept at playing in the halves or at lock, that represented CIS at the ASSRL Championships recently out of Newington College and the Coogee-Randwick Wombats in the South Sydney Junior League. Anitelea Tsioussis, 17, is also a representative rugby union player, playing for New South Wales at age group level. Anitelea Tsioussis captained the Rabbitohs’ Harold Matthews Cup under 17s squad throughout the 2025 season, all the way to a preliminary finals berth, playing in all 11 matches, scoring 28 points from one try and 12 goals. This was his second season in the Rabbitohs’ Harold Matthews Cup squad, having represented South Sydney at the same level in 2024. Anitelea Tsioussis is a natural leader, a true professional with a complete and well-rounded game to match, including his ability to run, pass and kick. The Rabbitohs are working towards securing the services of Anitelea Tsioussis for the years to come.
Ben Kaberry
Ben Kaberry is a young prop-forward that represented CIS at the ASSRL Championships in 2025, representing from Knox College and the Coogee-Randwick Wombats in the Souths Juniors. The son of former Rabbitohs player Anthony Kaberry, Ben is the ultimate professional, a tough and physical forward with great leg speed. Kaberry, 17, played nine matches in the Rabbitohs’ Harold Matthews Cup under 17s team in 2025, his first season in the Rabbitohs junior representative system. Kaberry is contracted at the Rabbitohs for the 2026 and 2027 seasons. Kaberry is keen to follow in his father’s footsteps to play first grade for South Sydney. "I’ve watch some of it (his father’s old footage). He doesn’t show them to me, but I’ve watched them," Kaberry said with a smile. "He went alright!"
Ref - SSFC [Viewed 1 Aug 2025] / FN-1
Fui, Keung and Kuscu juniors Sign
4th Aug 2025
Maddax Fui
Maddax Fui, 18, is a middle forward who helped lead the South Sydney SG Ball Cup team to the preliminary final in 2025, playing ten games with the Rabbitohs in his first season at the Club. The big prop is a Campbelltown City Kangaroos junior that was part of the New Zealand under 17s squad, as well as coming through the junior representative system at the Wests Tigers. Fui will remain on a NSWRL contract in 2026 before progressing to a 2027 NRL Supplementary List contract and a 2028 NRL top 30 contract at the Rabbitohs.
Elijah Keung
Elijah Keung, 19, is a middle forward who also played his part in driving the Rabbitohs to a preliminary final appearance in the SG Ball Cup competition in 2025. The former Queensland Schoolboys representative that stands 191cm tall and weighs 110kg, played nine matches at the SG Ball Cup level this year, forming a strong middle forward rotation alongside Maddax Fui and Johannes Logan. Keung will be upgraded to an NRL Supplementary List contract in 2026 before progressing to an NRL top 30 contract in 2027.
Yasin Kuscu
Yasin Kuscu, 19, is an electrifying fullback who has been part of the Rabbitohs’ junior representative system for the past four seasons. Kuscu, a Coogee-Randwick Wombats junior, played Harold Matthews Cup under 17s for South Sydney in 2022 and 2023, as well as the SG Ball Cup under 19s side in 2024 and 2025. This season he played four games at the SG Ball Cup level due to two ankle injuries from illegal tackles, and was destined to progress to the Jersey Flegg Cup under 21s level this year before suffering his second injury in the SG Ball Cup preliminary final against the Parramatta Eels. Kuscu will be on a NSWRL contract in 2026 before progressing to an NRL contract in 2027.
Ref - SSFC [Viewed 5 Aug 2025] / FN-1