Jayden "Bud" Sullivan #278

With Bateman and Sullivan off our books for season 2025 and with the Miller saga expected to be completed soon, that will bring us back to 27 top 30 roster spots filled for 2025.
I expect Sione Fainu and Tim Johanssen will both be upgraded and take 2 of those spots.
There is next to no doubt Taylan May will end up in Wests Tigers colours should be be cleared to play after his court case, so a position will need to be available for him.
In addition to do I’d say we ideally still want to sign an edge back rower, a back up halfback and maybe another back up middle.
Liam Kingtht on a Development Deal or a minimum wage top 30 contract would be ok to add experience a depth to our middles.
So I’d say it’s highly likely there will be one or two more exits at some stage early next year to allow the above scenario to happen.
Has Sullivan gone ?
 
Although a very unusual deal the club has brokered with south Sydney for Buds 2025 release, I thinks it works for everyone. It gives Souths halves coverage, it gives us a half for 2027 if Galvin or Luai walk and most importantly, it gives Bud a opportunity to showcase his talent, as he did not do anything wrong with us unlike the Pom
 
Although a very unusual deal the club has brokered with south Sydney for Buds 2025 release, I thinks it works for everyone. It gives Souths halves coverage, it gives us a half for 2027 if Galvin or Luai walk and most importantly, it gives Bud a opportunity to showcase his talent, as he did not do anything wrong with us unlike the Pom

Does it really give us anything ? My reading of the article, The control seems to rest with Bud each year if he returns here or not … say he plays well this year at Souths … he can move elsewhere if he chooses, or stay at Souths …

I don’t hate moving him on this season though … he was 50/1 to he see NRL here in 2025 …, and they need his roster spot ..
 
Although a very unusual deal the club has brokered with south Sydney for Buds 2025 release, I thinks it works for everyone. It gives Souths halves coverage, it gives us a half for 2027 if Galvin or Luai walk and most importantly, it gives Bud a opportunity to showcase his talent, as he did not do anything wrong with us unlike the Pom
The fact that Bud hasn’t carried on like a prima Donna princess about the way things have panned out is commendable and mature. He holds all the aces but still he could’ve been kicking stones and been disruptive. I’m glad we’ve found a mutually beneficial way for him to progress his career and if he can show this much character at a young age, then who knows a season under Benno might really help him, and he either extends at bunnies, signs with another or comes back here as a better backup half.
 
Sullivan is basicaly a loan to another club for 1-2 years and then comes back for 1,it happens in soccer in Europe and i can;t see any problems with it.Good business move
It’s pretty smart ! Tigers are hedging their bets . I’d say with the uncertainty around Galvin , maybe uncertainty implies something bad , I just meant he’s not locked in yet , it’s a way of getting that third string halfback still in the club.
What I’ve realised is , everyone is saying the Sullivan deal is horrendous , but heaps of clubs are paying thier 1st drop half exactly the same
Money re. Half a milllion. Our issue is Sullivan isn’t our first drop , he’s 2nd drop now we have Fainu , maybe even 3rd drop with AD.
 

Unwanted Tigers half set to join Souths but could return amid unique clause​

Fox League from Fox Sports
December 19th, 2024 9:26 am

Jayden Sullivan is set to leave the Wests Tigers to take up a deal with the South Sydney Rabbitohs, but the club switch comes with a catch.

The Daily Telegraph reported Sullivan has joined the Rabbitohs after doing a medical with Souths last week, despite having three years on his $700,000 a season Tigers deal remaining.

Previously the Tigers had been willing to pay $900,000 or $300,000 a season for the remaining three years of Sullivan’s deal for him to play elsewhere.
However, Sullivan’s Souths deal is unique in that he will play for the club in 2025, but has the flexibility to rejoin the Tigers in 2026.

But Sullivan also has an option to stay at Souths in 2026 if he chooses with all the power in the young halfback’s court.

Sullivan had signed a four year deal to join the Tigers last season from after switching from the Dragons.

He had been earmarked as their long-term halfback but since then the Tigers have signed Jarome Luai to play No.7 with youngsters Lachie Galvin and Latu Fainu the other half options, Sullivan was surplus to requirements.
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At the Rabbitohs Sullivan will compete with Lewis Dodd for the right to partner Cody Walker in the halves, after Lachlan Ilias’ switch to his old club the Dragons.

Sullivan is expected to link up with South Sydney in the new year when training resumes on January 6.

Sullivan is the third big-name player to be released by the Tigers in recent months with Bateman (Cowboys) and Isaiah Papali’i (Panthers) also being moved on.

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all the best to Bud.

unfortunately with two freakish halves on the come up plus the signing of Luai last January his cards were marked from then on, but by all reports he's never once complained.

if there's anyone that can erase the years of underdevelopment at the hands of the Dragons, it's Wayne Bennett. I genuinely hope it works out for all parties.
 
So how much money do we have playing at other clubs in 2025 and 2026 .....probably close to a million over 2 seasons ??
 
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Does it really give us anything ? My reading of the article, The control seems to rest with Bud each year if he returns here or not … say he plays well this year at Souths … he can move elsewhere if he chooses, or stay at Souths …

I don’t hate moving him on this season though … he was 50/1 to he see NRL here in 2025 …, and they need his roster spot ..
Yeah it's hard to tell who's calling the shots... Has to be all three parties in agreeance once again if a return happens... If one party ( bud, Souths or us) says 'no' I can't see how it works
 
So how much money do we have playing at other clubs in 2025 and 2026 .....probably close to a million over 2 seasons ??
The NRL affords clubs the opportunity to offset this money using TPA’s. Not sure our club does this but there’s nothing stopping it.
 
Good luck to Bud,best wishes and hope he improves his game under Bennett.He is still young and could develop into an NRL standard player in the future...
The best thing so far to me is how professional and bussiness like these deals with Bateman and Bud have been handled..
Just goes to show that when you have people on your payroll that know what they are doing you get the best outcomes for the club...
 
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