‘THIS IS HOME NOW’: SULLIVAN’ SOUTHS DILEMMA
—Fatima Kdouh
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...l/news-story/bd0e0f4b454840b2789757b8fded398f
Jayden Sullivan is supposed to pack his locker at Heffron Park at the end of the season and
return to Concord, where he has two years left on a deal with the Wests Tigers.
The only problem for the Tigers is that South Sydney now feels like ‘home’ for Sullivan in more ways than one.
Not only does Sullivan feel a bond to the club’s Indigenous heritage, he has climbed the halves pecking order to cement his place in Wayne Bennett’s side.
With Jamie Humphreys set to miss around five weeks with a hamstring injury, Bennett has elevated Sullivan from the bench into the No.7 jumper, where he will start this week against the Cowboys in Perth.
“This place is home now, I’m loving every second of it,” Sullivan told this masthead.
Jayden Sullivan South Sydney now feels like ‘home’ … the only problem is he is supposed to head back to the Tigers at the end of 2025. Picture: Getty Images
“For sure, I want to stay. Hopefully the club feels the same way about me if I can keep playing good footy.
“I already had a pretty good relationship with those boys, Latrell (Mitchell), Jackie Wighton and Cody Walker outside of footy and before I came here.
“With Jackie especially … We are texting every other day, and not just about footy, but about life and fishing.
“If you’re happy off the field, you’re happy on the field.
Sullivan arrived at the Rabbitohs facing a similar predicament to the one at Concord.
The signature of $6 million-dollar man Jarome Luai meant Sullivan had only dropped further down the pecking order behind Luai, Lachlan Galvin and Latu Fainu.
But there were no guarantees for an NRL start for Sullivan under Bennett either.
The club had signed Humphreys and Englishman Lewis Dodd, who is now languishing in NSW Cup, as potential halves partners to Cody Walker, who is set to miss at least the next two weeks with a hamstring injury.
But Sullivan has left an impression on Bennett, especially after last week’s win against the Roosters where the 23-year old shook off a poor defensive error to help set-up a crucial try to keep the Bunnies in the contest.
Sullivan signed with the Rabbitohs for 2025, but still has two-years left on his deal with the Wests Tigers. Picture: Getty Images
“He’s been wonderful at the club, he’s a great acquisition,” Bennett said.
“When I first met him, I really liked him. He’s a really good person. He knows his footy … we’ve got all the confidence in him. When he comes on you know he is not going to let the team down.
“That’s how he thinks, if he makes a mistake, he wants to make amends … he doesn’t go into his shell.”
Bennett’s feelings towards Sullivan are mutual.
“It’s just how good he is with me as a person,” Sullivan said.
“He worries about my life outside of football … all my other coaches have done that also but with Wayne, I’ve connected with him a little more.
“He’s brutally honest and he’s never lied to me but he knows when you need a hug as well.
“Obviously my long term hope is that I keep playing in the halves. But I just want to be anywhere in this team, if I’m playing in the same 17 as Latrell, Wighton and Cody, then I’m loving life.”
Jayden Sullivan will replace the injured Jamie Humphreys in the no.7 jumper. (Photo by Brett Hemmings/Getty Images)
Sullivan’s whereabouts beyond 2025 could well come down to the decision Galvin makes on his own future.
Galvin, who becomes a free agent from November 1, is expected to generate plenty of interest from rival clubs on the open market if the Tigers can’t get a deal done to lock him in at Concord in the next seven months.
His defection will make Sullivan’s return to the Tigers all the more important to coach Benji Marshall’s halves stocks.
The Tigers are expected to kick-off official negotiations with Galvin, and rising rake Tallyn Da Silva, in the coming weeks.