A secret clause in his new South Sydney deal that allows Alex Johnston to negotiate with PNG at any time could result in the fledgling franchise snaring the game’s greatest try-scorer as their No.1 signing.
Johnston signed a new two-year contract extension just a fortnight ago, which ensures he will break Ken Irvine’s tryscoring record at “The Pride of the League”. The winger is just five tries short of Irvine’s mark of 212, which is poised to fall late this year or early next season.
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Under the NRL’s contracting rules, players aren’t allowed to negotiate with rival clubs until November 1 of the year before their deal expires. However, the Rabbitohs have inserted a clause that allows Johnston to negotiate with PNG at any time of his choosing, a move that gives the new franchise a potential huge headstart ahead of its 2028 inclusion into the competition.
“Alex has been a captain of [their] national team, has played 10 Tests and is revered in PNG,” said Rabbitohs chief executive Blake Solly.
“He will always have a home here at Souths, but if Alex and his family want to be part of the PNG team on its entry to the NRL competition, we understand, respect and support that.”
Given he is just 30 years old and has had few serious injuries during a 239-game NRL career spanning 11 seasons, there’s every chance Johnston will still be playing at the top level when PNG joins the competition. In a recent interview, Johnston revealed he was open to the prospect of signing with the new franchise.
“It would be pretty cool to be player No.1,” Johnston told PNG newspaper The National during a visit to the Pacific nation last month.
Read the full story from Adrian Proszenko
