The South Sydney Rabbitohs are said to have initiated discussions with Jye Gray, a promising young talent destined for NRL stardom, regarding a potential extension to his contract.
Impressing notably in the Charity Shield match versus the St George Illawarra Dragons, Gray has maintained his exceptional performance in the NSW Cup.
In a recent match against the Roosters, Gray demonstrated his prowess with 271 running meters, four line breaks, one try, nine tackle busts, and 73 post-contact meters.
Originally recognized for his skills as a schoolboy, Gray has been earmarked by club officials as a possible long-term replacement for Cody Walker in the halves, while also excelling in the fullback position.
With his current contract set to expire at the season’s end, reports from News Corp suggest that negotiations are underway between Gray and the Rabbitohs.
Details regarding the specifics of the contract or the length of the extension remain undisclosed at this stage.
Amidst the Rabbitohs’ recent string of losses and increasing scrutiny on coach Jason Demetriou, there’s speculation among critics that Gray might soon make his NRL debut, possibly taking up the fullback position and shifting Latrell Mitchell to the centres.
Former NRL player Gordon Tallis and Fox League journalist James Hooper addressed this possibility earlier in the week.
“There’s talk that Latrell should be a centre. There’s got to be someone in the system, that’s the role of the recruitment to have a backup in case he goes down,” Tallis said on NRL 360.
“The fullback has become an effort role where Latrell is a strike weapon. He’s powerful, give him the ball eight times a game and see what he does instead of all that running.
“Is that Latrell’s weapon, as a strike centre?”
“I think Latrell would probably be better served at this point of time moving to left centre but I do worry about how he would receive that news and react to that,” Hooper added.
“You just have to look at all of his old footage from the Roosters and when he was at his best there and its in the centres,” Tallis responded.
“When he’s dominated State of Origin its in the centres. When he gets quality ball he makes his opposition look like kids.”
