Rabbitohs Future Looking Strong with Focus on Pathways – Part One
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.
This is a wonderful result for the Rabbitohs, and in particular the young centre Jennings, who has joined the Rabbitohs from the Central Coast of New South Wales.
However, 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.
This is the first of a three-part feature series about the Rabbitohs’ pathways programs, junior recruitment and the future of the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLBOYS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Some of the top junior talent is currently under the South Sydney Rabbitohs’ banner, with six players featuring at the recent Australian Secondary Schools Rugby League (ASSRL) Championships played in Coffs Harbour. Let’s take a closer look.
Dayne Jennings
Dayne Jennings is a tall, strong centre that played for Combined Independent Schools (CIS) at the ASSRL Championships, hailing from Central Coast Sports College and the Terrigal-Wamberal Sharks.
Jennings, 17, has been part of the Rabbitohs junior representative system for the past two seasons, starting with the Harold Matthews Cup under 17s squad in 2024 and progressing to the SG Ball Cup under 19s squad in 2025.
Following the completion of his school football commitments, it is thought that the 17-year-old is ready to be tested at the Jersey Flegg Cup under 21s level later in the season.
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.
“This club has helped me out so much, given me the opportunity. I love all the boys, they’re all great, all the coaching staff. I couldn’t thank them any more.”
Cody Hill
Cody Hill is a quality young hooker that played for Combined Catholic Colleges (CCC) at the ASSRL Championships this year, selected from Marcellin College in Randwick and the Coogee-Randwick Wombats in the South Sydney Junior League.
Hill, who turned 18 during the ASSRL Championships, has played junior representative football at South Sydney over the past two seasons, playing with the Harold Matthews Cup under 17s team in 2024 before progressing to the SG Ball Cup under 19s squad in 2025. This season, he played all 11 matches of the SG Ball Cup competition, scoring a hat trick of tries in round three against the Western Suburbs Magpies.
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
Josh Ballard is a flying winger that represented CIS at the ASSRL Championships, playing out of Waverley College and the Mascot Juniors in the Souths Juniors competition.
Ballard, 17, was the top try scorer at the ASSRL competition this year, using his speed and finishing ability to score nine tries in the tournament, with his next closest rival scoring five tries throughout the week-long event.
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!”
Rabbitohs Head of Recruitment and Retention, Mark Ellison, said: “We had six players trial to make the Australian Schoolboys team which is unheard of in this area.
“These players like Taj Alvarez, Dayne Jennings who has just been named in the Australian Schoolboys team, Ben Kaberry, Josh Ballard who was the top try scorer for the tournament and played outside Dayne Jennings, Keone Anitelea Tsioussis and Cody Hill; they make me very confident that these guys coming through are going to be with us for many years to come.
“They are part of our pathways plan to move up to our NRL squad when they’re ready. Some of them might take two years, some of them may take three years, some may take 12 months.
“It’s exciting.”
Stand by for part two of our in-depth look into the future players and pathways of the Rabbitohs which will focus on some of the up-and-coming talent on the brink of NRL selection in the not-too-distant future.
