The South Sydney Rabbitohs are delighted to announce the contract extension of second row forward Keaon Koloamatangi until at least the end of the 2024 season.
Koloamatangi, 23, has been one of the leading lights in the Rabbitohs’ forward pack in 2021, being rewarded with a regular starting position in the red and green as well as inclusion in the New South Wales State of Origin squad throughout the 2021 season.
Koloamatangi has played 37 NRL games, including the 2021 NRL Grand Final, so far since making his NRL debut for South Sydney against the Melbourne Storm in round four, 2020. Keaon has proven himself to be one of the competition’s most damaging ball runners and is equally as strong in defence.
Koloamatangi is excited about extending his current term with South Sydney.
“Souths is my junior club and I want to stay here for as long as I can,” Koloamatangi said.
“We made the Grand Final this year and that experience has made me hungrier than ever to win a premiership.
“I think we have an opportunity to do that here in the short term with the players and the coaches we have and I want to be part of helping this Club win its 22nd premiership.
“I love this Club. I feel comfortable here and I know the Club has my best interests at heart which makes me want to do my best every chance I get to represent Souths.
“I’m achieving some of my personal goals here too and I’m ready to take my game to the next level next season.
Keaon KoloamatangiI love the Members and fans too. They are the best supporters in the world and it’s an honour to play for them every time I get to pull on that jersey.
“I’m really happy to be extending my contract and I can’t wait for Season 2022 to get underway.”
Rabbitohs Head of Football, Mark Ellison, says it was a no-brainer to extend the contract of the South Sydney junior.
“We see Keaon as one of the cornerstones of not just our forward pack, but of our Club, over the next decade so rewarding him with a further contract extension made sense,” Mr Ellison said.
“He’s a South Sydney junior from the Mascot club, he has worked tirelessly to get himself into the position he’s in today, he is a popular member of the team and is a leader amongst the young brigade we have at the Club.
“He has the respect of his teammates and the coaching staff, and importantly you can see he is a player that opposition sides worry about when he comes up against them.
“We’re delighted to know that young Souths juniors like himself, Cam (Murray), Campbell (Graham), Blake (Taaffe), Davvy (Moale), Peter (Mamouzelos) and a host of players in our pathways squads, from under 17s up to the senior levels, see their footballing futures with the South Sydney Rabbitohs.”
Biography
Name: Keaon Koloamatangi
Date of Birth: 23 May 1998
Place of Birth: Sydney, NSW
Position: Second row
Height: 191cm
Weight: 106kg
Junior Club: Mascot Jets
NRL Debut: Rabbitohs vs Storm, AAMI Park, 5 June 2020 (Rd 4)
NRL Games: 37 (all for the Rabbitohs)
NRL Points: 12 (all for the Rabbitohs from three tries)
Rep Honours: NSW State of Origin Squad (2021); NSW Residents (2019); NSW under 18s (2016)
Awards: John Sattler Rookie of the Year Award (2020)
